A New Way of Living
by Echo Hunter
Summary: The Silver Crystal fuses with Serena on her 18th birthday and she's taken to another world and dimension to learn how to master her skills. Her greatest challenge, besides restoring memories and family, will be fighting the greatest power in the universe.
1. Default Chapter

-------------- 

CHAPTER 1: BIRTHDAY PRESENTS

'Mother, I'm so confused,' she whispered to the moon. 

For several weeks now, Serena had been dreaming of a tall man with thick black hair. She could see the outline of his muscular build and when he held her, melted in the strength of his arms. It was those nightly visions that had her doubting a future with her Earth prince. At first, not much thought was put into them until those dreams became too real. She could feel him, she could hear the man in the shadows, smell him and it was not Darien. Whoever it was knew her intimately and had a very close relationship with her. Serena didn't know until she and Darien broke up the second time that he had been having similar dreams about someone who wasn't her. No anger or frustration was involved...only confusion. How could she fall in love with a dream?

It was on her 18th birthday, a month and a half ago, that the dreams began.

Serena was sitting at her window, having a one-sided conversation with the moon. Since the time it was discovered that she was the lost Princess of the Moon, Serena had been doing her best to fulfill her destiny. As the Moon Princess, she was to inherit the Silver Crystal and begin building a new life for all mankind, a beacon of light in the dark age of man. Under the full light of the moon, Serena's powers were at their fullest and when she looked up at it, the round satellite looked brighter than usual and had three rings around it. How odd.

The moon in all its glory and mystery sat in the sky, looking upon its child on earth. A small light darted through the darkness towards a two-story house where a lost princess sat on her windowsill.

Serena saw a shooting star and closed her eyes to make a wish. Just as she had done that she felt power, a strong force coming towards her and opened her eyes again. The star was coming closer and Serena froze, afraid that it was going to hit her house and destroy her neighborhood as she'd seen in movies. Whatever it was stopped right in front of her window where she was nestled on the sill and twirled about until big blue eyes realized what it was. The Imperium Silver Crystal! As Serena reached for it, it flew into her chest, knocking the wind out of her. The force of it pushed her off her perch and onto her bed, which luckily for her was right under the window.

Serena gasped as the crystal shattered and spread its energy throughout her body, causing her to tingle with the power of the stone as it merged with every organ and cell. After the shock of what could have not possibly happened, a strange itching sensation made its way to her shoulder blades. Serena picked up a back scratcher from her nightstand and scratched until it became painful. It felt like someone had a knife to her back and was slowly slicing it open. She wanted to scream to take away from the pain but only a gasp escaped.

On the floor, Serena cradled her head in her hands as the pain rose from her back to her head in mere seconds. She could hear the flapping of wings but the pain was too intense for her to think of the possibility that birds could have flown in through the window. She looked behind her to where the sound was coming from and would have screamed again if the shock weren't so strong. Two beautiful white wings had emerged from her back and were stretching from wall to wall in her 10 ft. by 10 ft. bedroom. Serena did her best to calm herself, but wings? All thought processes stopped as the last part of her transformation was realized. With a curious hand, she reached out to touch her new appendages. Quicker than lightning, she pulled her hand back in front of her and saw her own blood trickling from her finger. The feathers were as sharp as blades.

* * *

Every night since her birthday, Pluto had been training Serena at midnight to familiarize her with her new gifts. She was wisely instructed to tell no one about her 4-hour long training sessions, it was simply not the right time. Because waking up late and constantly being late was the norm for the 18-year old, unwanted questions and probing from others weren't problems. 

The training had lasted for two months before Pluto told her that they would no longer meet like did. She needed to apply what she had learned in training in the battles that her enemies would bring. In those she would learn more.

Pluto gave the young woman a hug and whispered, "good luck, princess. We shall meet again when it is time."

* * *

The last bit of Pluto's farewell training had been the harshest of them all and the second Serena's head hit the pillow and her eyes closed, her communicator beeped. Serena arrived at the scene of the attack within minutes of being informed and not too happy at that. She would show no mercy to the creature that was robbing her of her precious sleep! 

Mars was shocked to see her leader at the scene of the attack. It usually took Sailor Moon quite some time to get there, especially if she had to be stirred awake from her sleep of the dead. The red senshi watched as her leader landed in a nearby tree and watched with careful eye the creature that was attacking her friends. Was that really Sailor Moon? The Sailor Moon she knew would be stumbling around, groggy from an abrupt awakening. And what was she doing watching instead of almost getting killed by her own carelessness? Something wasn't right.

The scouts were standing in shock, watching Sailor Moon put up a pretty good fight against the monster. Dodge-kick. Duck-punch. Neither was winning nor losing at this point.

Sailor Moon thought to get the monster away from her friends so she lured it to a treed area and hid. She would tease the monster in and out of hiding but it eventually lost its patience with its prey. It turned its head to the next available victim, paying no attention to the hits Moon was sending it with some of her dagger-like feathers that were pulled out of her sleeves.

Without warning, a red beam shot from the youma's withered finger and hit Venus square in the chest. Sailor Moon was nearly sick with dread and rushed to her fallen friend, first sending more feather daggers at the back of the monster's head. When she got there, blood was already staining Venus' white fuku, there was too much of it escaping! She saw the monster preparing to attack someone else and couldn't yell in time to warn its target, Mars. The Fire scout turned just in time to see the attack hit her. Her body was blown to where Moon was trying to help Venus

Jupiter had been injured before Sailor Moon had shown up and was now limping to the side thanks to the help Mercury was giving her. Mercury, having never been very strong with physical attacks, was doing her best to find a weakness in the hellish monster while holding up the green scout.

The monster was about to unleash an attack on them when Sailor Moon countered and beat the monster mercilessly. Red was the only color she could see and soon it covered the ground. After being knocked down she realized all her energy had gone into that bit of rage. She no longer had the strength to protect or even use the moon wand.

Memories flashed before her mind of when they all first met, slumber parties, study attempts, times when they just sat and talked and times when they cried. A new power filled her heart and body and she didn't even realize she was glowing.

Serena could hear her friend's last words. "You're ready."

Jupiter, Mercury and Tuxedo Mask watched in fascination as Moon's hair and eyes turned silver. Jupiter shivered and noticed that the wind's speed picked up along with any debris around the glowing Champion of Justice. She slowly lifted her hand with her palm facing the ugly beast.

"LUNAR RINGS!"

A white and deadly energy left her hand in the form of a ring and flew at the creature, wrapping around its body and tightening. The monster was being slowly constricted and it was obvious the amount of pain it was in from the loud wailing sounds that filled the area. The wind picked up speed as her power increased and with one last scream, the youma exploded within the bounds of its white prison.

Moon dusted.

As soon as Sailor Moon made sure it was in fact destroyed, she turned her attention to her injured friends. Mars was now sitting over Venus' body, applying pressure to the wound to stop the bleeding while pushing aside her own pain. It wasn't working too well and she was crying for her dying friend who was convulsing from lack of blood. Sailor Moon knelt beside Venus and placed her hand over Mars'. Healing light was transferred from Sailor Moon to the people touching her and at the last minute, she let go, leaving her with just enough to stay conscious.

Serena slowly took Mars' hands away to reveal no wound or blood on either Venus, Mars, or herself. With her attention focused on healing her friends, she didn't see the evil man who appeared in the sky above them.

"SAILOR MOON! WATCH OUT!" Jupiter yelled.

Tuxedo Mask, Jupiter, and Mercury watched helplessly as the floating figure shot a ball of dark energy towards Sailor Moon. She looked up in time to see it heading straight for her and her friends and closed her eyes tightly, awaiting the impact.

'Must Protect!'

The attack hit her and the dark energy faded away as light replaced it. Mercury latched on to Jupiter and hid her face, not wanting to see the mess of mangled bodies that would appear once the smoke cleared. Tuxedo Mask stayed hidden in the nearby tree, not wanting to give away his position, yet horrified that he didn't fulfill his duty of protecting Sailor Moon and the girl he was beginning to have feelings for. He wiped away a stray tear and then noticed that the white glow he had seen during impact hadn't dulled at all. As the area began to clear, he could make out a white shield that looked as if it protected them. With a closer look, he noticed that there were lines and shapes in that shield. It began to expand and it opened to reveal that they were, in fact, wings!

Jupiter whispered for the crying Mercury to look up and when she did, she saw the most beautiful thing ever.There was Serena, kneeling on the ground over her friends with her white wings spread out away from her body and silver hair dancing in the dying wind.

Serena turned her head and her cold silver glowing eyes met those of her attacker.

"HOW ARE YOU STILL ALIVE? THAT WAS MY MOST POWERFUL ATTACK!"

The Sailor Soldier slowly rose and turned to him. She replied in a cold tone, so unlike herself, "You won't live long enough to find out." Serena lifted her hand once more to face, Kaelite who was one of the several henchmen that had tried to destroy the earth many times. 5 bright rings shot from her hands and attached themselves around his legs, arms and neck. He tried desperately to disappear the same way he appeared, but was trapped. He couldn't leave. The light wouldn't allow it.

Serena slowly closed her hand, like she remembered doing while in training, and the rings shrunk. Kaelite, screamed from the pain of the light surrounding which was burning him. It was the way most creatures of the dark responded to light. The rings grew in size to encompass his whole body and now he covered by it, not an inch of darkness left open. The glow lessened in intesity until it was no more. Serena's hand was now a fist. The last of the light disappeared, taking Kaelite with it.

Serena collapsed into the arms of Tuxedo Mask who expected she would be drained by now. He carried her back home while Lita and Ami made sure that Raye and Mina got home safely.

* * *

As Serena began to dream, swirls of mist surrounded her. She found herself walking towards a dim light in the distance and as she got closer, the light became brighter until she could make out the silhouette of a woman.

"Mother?" Serena ran into Queen Serenity's open arms.

"Oh, my beautiful daughter." The Queen squeezed Serena to her and tried not to think of how mature looking she was now.

"Mother...why am I here? Better yet, where is here?"

Serenity just smiled down at her daughter. "We're at the Gates of Time. Pluto and I arranged for a little meeting. I'm sorry, but this is going to be very short." Serena knew that there must have been a reason she was able to see her mother and be with her. That was usually the reason for her visits. "First, I wanted to wish you a happy belated birthday and secondly, I want to explain the changes you've been going through. On your birthday the crystal became one with you and the tingling sensations that you felt was the crystal becoming a part of your structural make-up. It shattered after entering your body and fused with your cells, which will enhance your abilities and will make you stronger in mind and body."

Serena could clearly remember the first night she had used her powers while training with Pluto. The strength was almost too much for her to handle until she learned how to reserve her energy. Until she had learned how to use and conserve it, she had always over exerted herself and her energy, leaving her drained and unable to defend herself afterwards.

"Mother, what happened between Darien and I? I thought we were destined to be together. I keep having dreams of someone else but why?"

"Serena," her mother said while stroking her hair, "destinies change. It is not a living organism and cannot create things. People create destinies. I cannot tell you what is happening between you and Prince Darien because I do not fully understand myself. The crystal works in mysterious ways. I believe that when it is time to know, the crystal will reveal what you cannot figure out."

"The main reason that I have come was to warn you. With great good there comes great opposition. In the history of the crystal, once it is inherited and once the power has been accepted and the crystal is diving into it's hidden power, it seems to attract evil. You are the most powerful in our line next to Selene, the moon goddess. I am sorry to have to put you through this my love but it is part of the burden that our line must carry." She looked onto her daughter with sadness, but only saw determination set in her eyes.

"What must I do?"

If only Serena knew her own strength. "There is somewhere you can go for training if you wish. You will live with some friends of mine in another dimension and there you will train with a group of men who are the most powerful beings of their kind. They will teach you how to fight and use the new powers that you have."

'Another dimension? Cool!' "When do I go?" Serena's eyes were lit up and her hands clasped in front of her. If there's anything that Serena couldn't pass up, it was an adventure. And she really needed a break from all this fighting. But then who would protect earth?

"I was hoping that would be your reaction. We could leave at the end of this week, Saturday night at 7:33. Just go to the temple and wait there for Pluto, she will come and get you. Don't worry about bringing anything because everything will be provided for you. You're welcome to bring pictures with you if you wish, but that is all you will need and be allowed to take."

"How long will I be gone?"

"I am not sure. You may be gone for years."

Serena's face fell at this news. How could she stay away from her friends and family for so long?

"What about my family?"

Serenity's eyes fell a little. "I'm sorry love, but for the sake of all, they won't remember you. When you come back to stay, we can restore some memories if you wish. When you leave, the only people who will retain memories of this place will be you, Prince Darien and your court.

"Not even Molly?"

"No my dear. Unfortunately, Molly won't remember either."

Serena thought about coming home and not having anyone remember her. Her best friends, the scouts, would remember, but the family that she grew up with and loved wouldn't remember her at all. If it meant the safety of the universe though, she would have to sacrifice something.

"What about this planet? Won't it need protection? What happens if I leave it?"

"Do not worry about them. The scouts will be able to handle them with the help of your Outer guardians. By the time you are needed, you will be strong enough to defeat them."

Her dream ended with tears of departure, but she was happy that she got to see her mother. She could hear her whispering, "I love you," as her dream became dark again, welcoming her back into reality.

BEEP BEEP BEEP

Serena shot straight up and groaned as she fudged around for her alarm clock's snooze button. "Stupid dreams."


	2. The News

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 2: THE NEWS  
  
"Stupid alarm clock," she muttered as she dragged herself out of bed. It was 9 o'clock. Her parents left early that morning for a conference so it was the perfect time to clean the house. After going through her normal morning routine, the blonde headed downstairs for some breakfast. After she finished she would clean but she wanted to spice things up a little. She held her hand out in front of her, closed her eyes and concentrated.  
  
--------------  
  
To Darien's insistance last night, all the other scouts stayed at the temple with Raye to make sure they were alright. Serena would be fine on her own he told them. How he knew, he wouldn't tell. Ami and Lita had been up for a while and had already eaten their breakfast.  
  
Lita smiled as when she saw Mina and Raye walking into the kitchen. "How are you guys feeling?"  
  
"Good," they answered in unison.  
  
"I had the strangest dream last night. I dreamt that I had died and an angel came and saved me. She had these huge white wings and was...glowing."  
  
Lita's face fell a little before laughing nervously. "Um, Mina that wasn't a dream."  
  
Mina's face fell. "It wasn't?"  
  
Lita had explained what had happened to the two girls since she had watched the whole thing.  
  
Raye kept silent about the dream she had. In it, Serena was leaving and none of them would be able to follow. That was impossible though. She had no reason to leave and they were her protectors. They had to be with her. That was the last time she thought about it.  
  
--------------  
  
~ Back at Serena's house ~  
  
Serena was having a blast. Everything was sparkling clean...literally. The house shone with specs of magic as she looked around to make sure she hadn't missed anything. If that was all it took to clean, she just might make it her full time job. Business would be amazing for her because no one would be able to figure out how she'd do it so quickly and efficiently.  
  
As she daydreamed, she walked to the kitchen to make herself something to eat. She finished it in record time and left no crumbs for evidence. She raced up to her room to grab some money and her house keys and left in the direction of Raye's temple. When she got there, the sweet aroma of Lita's cookies attacked her nose. She opened the door and was greeted by her four friends who were helping themselves to the delicious foods that Lita had baked.  
  
She casually walked in, removed her shoes and smiled. "How are you guys feeling?" The girls were amazed that Serena was there. It was eleven am, one hour before noon and Serena was standing in front of them.  
  
"We're doing good. How are you feeling?" Their eyes were scanning over her, trying to find what might be causing the change in their leader.  
  
"You're awake!"  
  
"Yeah, I wanted to surprise my parents so I cleaned the house." After their "yeah's" and "whatevers", she explained to them how she had cleaned it and how it was *fun*. They couldn't believe it, but she had no reason to lie.  
  
Raye wasn't about to wait for the conversation to "flow" to the point she wanted to get to. "How did you...do that?"  
  
"That was the most beautiful thing I have ever seen," added Lita.  
  
The little blonde savior knew this topic was going to come up but wasn't expecting it to come so soon. She grabbed one of Lita's brownies and leaned on the coffee table.  
  
"Serena, could you please tell us what is going on? How do you have so much power and how come you never told us?"  
  
Serena looked at her blue-haired friend and could see hurt in her eyes. She weakly smiled, "I would love to."  
  
Serena went into detail of what happened the night of her 18th birthday and how the crystal had fused with her. She went into depth on her training and the different things that she did during her training sessions with Pluto in the wee hours of the morning. Realizing why she was tired all the time and why her battles in the last month had and hadn't been great made Raye feel so guilty for giving her such a hard time about it. The hot-tempered priestess quickly apologized and begged for Serena to forgive her. Of course she was forgiven right away, and was told to just forget about it. Serena wasn't allowed to disclose any information to her at that time. Raye reached over and squeezed her best friend to death.   
  
"There's something else I have to tell you." The girls looked on with anticipation of her news, not knowing that they wouldn't like it one bit. "I had a dream last night and I met with my mother."  
  
"What's going to happen?" Was Raye's first reaction. She knew what conversations with Serena's mother meant.  
  
"What do you mean 'what's going to happen?'" questioned Mina. She didn't understand or realize what Raye was getting at.  
  
Lita cut in. "Every time that Serena sees her mother, Queen Serenity, something big always happens." Mina nodded her head in understanding and was perplexed, waiting to hear what this big 'thing' was going to be.  
  
"Last night, in my dream, I was talking with my mother. She explained what had happened the night the crystal bonded with me and the powers that it gave me. She also told me that where there is great light, great darkness follows, so I should be prepared, just incase something would happen, which I'm guessing it will. We talked about it and there is a place that I can go to train, but I don't know how long I'll be gone or know where I'm going. She told me that she had friends who lived there and watch over and take care of me while I went through the training of my life."  
  
She looked around the table to her friends' faces and found that they all looked shocked, especially Raye. "What's the matter Raye?" she asked waiting for her friend's response.  
  
"I dreamt that you were leaving and that we couldn't go with you." Her eyes held a blank expression.  
  
"You're not leaving right? You told her that you weren't going to go right?" Mina was begging with her eyes.  
  
"Mina, I think that if it were under any other circumstances and if it were someone besides my mother, I would have told them that I was going to stay here, but it was my mother and just like Lita said, when she comes, it usually means trouble. I'm pretty sure that it's vital that I go to my mother's friends to be trained."  
  
Mina's eyes began to water as her friend told her and everyone else that she would be leaving Saturday night and that she was planning on spending the weekend with them, all of Friday thru Saturday. She cried as she told them how her family wouldn't remember her, that their memories would be taken away including all of her other friends' memories. The girls' hearts softened as they thought of how painful it would be to have their families not remember them.  
  
"We won't forget you will we?" Lita asked.  
  
"No, you will keep your memories because you still have to protect the planet. My mother wanted me to tell you not to worry and that you will be able to defeat the monsters. I've been thinking about it and the only reason they're here in the first place is because of me, so after I'm gone for a little while, they should leave."  
  
Ami nodded her head as she digested her friend's logic. The crystal did seem to enhance her thoughts and brainpower and immediately Ami felt bad for thinking that her friend wasn't smart anyway. "I support you 100% Serena," said the blue-haired genius.  
  
"So do I," chirped Raye and Lita simultaneously.  
  
"Me...too..." sniffled Mina as she rose and tackeld her look alike in a hug. After all tears subsided, Serena pulled away from the group. She was getting hot with all those bodies surrounding her.  
  
"How will we keep in touch?" Ami asked.  
  
"Through Pluto. Because of her job, she needs to be at the gates so I'll probably be able to write you letters but I don't think I'll be able to receive any from you. She'll keep me updated because we still have to train."  
  
"What about your family? Won't you want to spend the last of your days with them?"  
  
Serena nodded her head and replied, "as much as I would love to, they won't remember me after Thursday when I tell them that we're having a sleep over. I have two days with my family and two days with you. I want to make memories that will last me however long I'm away from you. I want to spend the last two days with the people that will remember me after I leave. Please call Darien and ask him if he can stay with us on Friday and Saturday. I have to go now. My family will be coming home soon and I want to stay with them now. I'll see you guys on Friday okay?"  
  
--------------  
  
"Serena is that you?" She answered in the affirmative and her mother then asked, "Serena, did you do this? Did you clean the house all by yourself?"  
  
Her mother walked out of the kitchen with her favorite apron on and embraced her daughter. "Serena, this is the best present I could have ever gotten. It is so beautiful in here. I can even see it sparkling." Serena smiled secretly to herself.   
  
"Mom, is dad and Sammy home?" As she looked at her mother's face, she tried her best to memorize her soft features, the features of a mother that had to put up with a teenage-super hero daughter without knowing it. She was the best mother that she could have in this life. Her heart was silently breaking so she turned away to think of something else.   
  
"Yes dear. Why, is there something you wanted us to do?"  
  
"Yes." Serena nodded her head as she quickly gathered thoughts on how she wanted to tell her family. "Can we have a family meeting really quick? There's something I have to tell you all."  
  
"Sure sweetie. Let me just clean up and I'll get your father and brother. We'll meet in the living room. Is that alright?"  
  
"That would be great. Thank you mommy." Ilene's eyes began to water. It had been a long time since Serena had called her mommy and for some reason, she was beginning to get emotional. She could sense that Serena had something big to say to them and so she quickly removed the apron and went in search of the other family members.  
  
Once everyone was seated in the living room, all eyes turned to the blonde who was nervously fidgeting and wringing her hands. "Is there something you wanted to tell us sweetheart?" Her dad asked.  
  
"Yes. I have something very important to tell you." Her thoughts went back to her dream last night when Pluto told her that their memories would be taken away. She wanted to tell her family who she really was and Pluto thought it would be okay in this one instance, since they wouldn't be in any dangers since they wouldn't remember.  
  
"Mom...dad...Sammy..." her throat suddenly went dry, and in a weak voice, she managed to squeak, "I'm Sailor Moon." 


	3. Parting Brings Such Sorrow

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 3: PARTING BRINGS SUCH SORROW  
  
All three of her family members stared for a while, not knowing what to make of the news they just received, when suddenly the silence was broken by Sammy's laughing. Actually, it was more like guffawing. Her mother began to chuckle as well, trying her best to cover her mouth with her hand but failing. Serena's dad just rolled his eyes at her.  
  
"I can't believe you called us all together to tell us some lame and unimportant joke." Serena began to sink under her father's glare and reprimand when a voice reminded her of the horrible monsters that she faced almost every day. Compared to them, her father was nothing. As she watched her father begin to turn his back to walk out of the room she yelled after him.  
  
"DADDY!" Serena began to tear up at the thought of her father walking out on her. As for him, he hadn't heard her call him that in years. Something was amiss.  
  
"I can prove it!" That immediately shut up Sammy and his mother as they heard her announcement.  
  
"Now Serena," Her mother wiped a tear from her eye and tried to calm herself down. Grabbing her broach out of her pocket, she raised it in the air and yelled the well-worn incantation.  
  
"MOON COSMIC POWER!"  
  
Swirls of lights and ribbon-looking things began to circle her body before they formed her Sailor fuku. As she landed on the ground, fully clad in her outfit, she could see the shocked looks on her family's faces. She held out the famous "V" sign and stood proud and tall for the ones she loved the most.  
  
Her father stood silent like he normally did when his children revealed to him that they were super heroes. Sammy chanted, "cool," while Ilene burst out in tears because her daughter had been the one to defeat all those big ugly monsters that attacked the city.  
  
"My baby girl is a super hero," Ilene wailed. "I'm so sorry that you had to fight those ugly monsters. Please, promise me that you won't ever do it again!" Serena just laughed into her mother's hair as she tried her best to comfort her. Under the noise of her mother's wailing, Serena could hear wood cracking. She realized her mistake and slowly rose from in front of her mother to face the very handsome and very ticked off Tuxedo Mask.  
  
He slowly made his way to her side before saying anything. "I hope you have a good explanation for this."  
  
Serena's father was getting very angry at the way this strange man was talking to his daughter. His face was getting red and his fists were clenched...just waiting for the perfect moment to...  
  
"I do." She said before turning back to her mother.  
  
"Well?" he said impatiently with his arms crossed over his chest.  
  
"Darien, I'd like you to meet my family." He was apalled that she used his real name in front non-super heroes.  
  
Trying his best to keep control of his temper he warned, "I hardly think this is the time and place to..."  
  
She didn't let him finish. "And I hardly think breaking down my front door was very appropriate. I was just about to tell my family something and if you would like to be patient and hear what I have to say, then you may stay and SIT on that couch over there." She pointed to the couch with a very displeased look on her face.   
  
"You just said my name in front of your family! I can't believe you just did that!" He yelled.  
  
Serena made her way closer to him and he caught the sad look in her eyes before she whispered to him, "It doesn't matter. They won't remember anyway." Her response to his reaction was like throwing a bucket of water on a small fire. Darien immediately calmed down and sat on the couch he was directed to without saying another word. He understood what she was doing now and felt humiliated.  
  
Ilene had quieted down to sniffles at that point after hearing the tone her daughter was using with the man in the tuxedo. Her head turned toward the front door again as she heard footsteps getting louder and louder. Four other females dressed in similar outfits to Serena's ran in the door with their ragged breathing, a sign that they did not take their time in getting there.  
  
"Where's the youma?" the one in red asked to which Tuxedo Mask answered, "There is none."  
  
"What?" With the temper that flared, you could almost see little flames bouncing off of the girl.  
  
"Why are you here anyway?" asked a confused Sailor Moon.  
  
"I called them on the communicator when I thought you were in trouble!" he admitted unapologetically.  
  
"Eh!" Sailor Moon silenced whatever cruel remark was bound to come out of the fire senshi's mouth with a raised pointer finger. "Please come and sit and make yourselves comfortable. It looks like this is going to take longer than I thought." She motioned for the scouts to come and sit on the remaining seats in the living room while the men shifted to the floor as a courtesy, Sammy getting a glare to remind him of his manners.  
  
Serena detransformed back into the clothes she was wearing earlier, which left the scouts stared at her as if she had grown a third 'meatball' on her face. "Luna mind meld," she said to them and they all nodded in understanding.  
  
"What's a Luna Mind Meld?" the young boy asked.  
  
"It's a secret, but I'll tell you about that in a minute," she said, "but first I'm going to tell you how all this mess started."  
  
Her family sat in awe and fascination as she unfolded the stories of the moon kingdom, the beginning of her career as Sailor Moon and up to the present day. "My mission has changed now and have been given full control of the crystal, which has become one with my body. I have been told that I will be going to another world and dimension to train to use my powers so I will be able to defend this world once again from some other aliens that want to destroy it."  
  
"You're leaving?" came the startled voice of the man in black.  
  
Serena's eyes lowered to the ground. "Yes."  
  
"When."  
  
"Tomorrow."   
  
She silently waited for the reaction of her teammates. It was just as she thought it would be. 4 heads snapped into attention as all eyes were focused on her as one voice spoke out.   
  
"You said you were leaving on Saturday," whined Mina.  
  
"I know. I'm so sorry and I was going to come straight over and tell you guys, but on the way home, Pluto grabbed me and told me that it was most important that I leave tomorrow, something about the gates lining up or...yeah. I leave tomorrow night." Serena wiped the tears from her eyes that appeared when she saw her best friends crying. None of them were in uniform as a request from Serena when she told the story of how they came to be friends. She could even see the tears showing themselves in Darien's eyes.   
  
Something else also caught her eye. It was the aura between Darien and one of the scouts. They seemed to be reaching out to each other, but now wasn't the time to be thinking of things like that. "Time to power up ladies and Darien," she said standing up. After they did, which was followed by more "oohs" and "ahs", Serena looked at her little brother Sammy, who she loved so much.  
  
"Here's that Luna Mind Meld trick Sammy," she said with sadness in her voice. Sammy looked on eagerly as Sailor Moon raised her arms into the air. She looked at her family once more and whispered, "I love you" before closing her eyes and chanting the words to the spell.  
  
"LUNA MIND MELD!" A bright light encompassed the room and like an explosion, swept across the city and and unseeingly, the whole world. All records, papers, memories, and pictures of Serena were erased outside the circle of her protectors.  
  
As the light dissipated, one lone tear escaped her eye. She walked over to Sammy, who blinked a couple of times, before handing him a small piece of paper. "Here ya go sport. This coupon is good for 5 free milkshakes at Crown Arcade. You won the contest for the highest score at the Sailor V game!" she said, hiding her sadness from him.  
  
His eyes lit up as he took it from his favorite hero and hugged her. "Thanks so much! You guys are the coolest ever!"   
  
The family of now three waved goodbye to the Sailor Scouts as they walked out of their house and their lives, jumping from building to building before coming to the temple where they detransformed as a group for the last time.   
  
--------------  
  
"Why'd you do that, Serena? You could have spent your last day with them!"  
  
"I know Raye, but it would hurt more to spend more time with them that they wouldn't remember."  
  
To lighten things up a bit, Lita added in her sarcastic wit. "Oh, so you're saying that you're not going to miss us then, huh?" A smirk crossed her lips.  
  
"Of course I'm going to miss you guys, but at least you'll remember me and..." She couldn't finish her sentence. Tears were pouring out of her eyes and everyone came in for a group hug.  
  
They went to the crown arcade where they played games and treated Serena out since it was her last day. She got to see Andrew for the last time, even though he didn't remember her. One day she was going to come back though, and one day everyone would remember her again. She looked forward to that day.  
  
Everyone, including Darien, spent the night at the temple. The scouts and tux had sweet dreams that night and the dream that the young princess had been having for the last few nights came back again.  
  
--------------  
  
* SERENA'S DREAM *  
  
She looked out across the ballroom from her throne and saw Prince Darien making his way towards her. She knew her love was here, but where was the question. She could always feel his presence near and could feel his gaze boring into her.   
  
"Hello Princess. How are you this beautiful evening?" The prince bowed and kissed her hand before escorting her to the dance floor. Everyone knew that the Prince of Earth and the Moon Princess had been seeing each other for quite sometime. That's what engaged couples did, after all. After spinning her out a couple of times, he reeled her back in, holding her close to his body.   
  
He whispered into her ear, "In a half hour we're going to walk out of here and go to our little hide-out. They said they'd meet us there." Serenity giggled. Her and Prince Darien had been best friends since they could remember and unfortunately for their mothers, that was the way they were going to keep their relationship. They had many talks about it while growing up. Darien fell in love with a member of Serenity's Royal Court. She had such a fun time trying to get them together and sneak them around so no one would get suspicious.   
  
On one of their many evening strolls through the Palace Gardens, they stumbled upon a hole in the ground, which lead to a bigger hole in the ground. They guessed it to be an old shelter, for who or what they didn't know.   
  
In every dream that Serena had, more and more memories were restored through them. Through them, she remembered Earth's Royal Court, the first time they found that cavern and other random bits of information that she tucked away. Never once in her dreams did she see the face of the other two lovers.   
  
As they headed out a half hour later from the dancing crowd, one of her friends followed them out with a nod from Darien. The figure raced through the shadows and she lost sight of it once they were in the large garden. They headed to the spot where they would disappear underground and before they did, they checked to make sure no one had followed.  
  
Darien lifted the wall of ivy to reveal a staircase heading down into the earth. Serenity had never dreamed this part before so she took in all of her surroundings. The first thing she noticed were the glowing mushrooms that were growing on the dirt wall and more along the stairs to light their path. Once they reached the bottom, she waited for Darien to pass by and she followed him the rest of the way.   
  
A squeal of joy was heard as two lovers were reunited. She saw a streak of blonde and when they pulled away from kissing, Serenity saw it was her cousin, Mina! Memories flooded her mind as she remembered how Darien and Mina met one day when the Earth Alliance came to the Moon for a Planetary Conference. It was love at first sight, and being the best friends that they were, Darien had Serenity make arrangements for them to meet privately, since they themselves had been betrothed since birth.  
  
For some strange reason, she couldn't remember what her love looked like. Oddly enough, she remembered some things he told her on his visits during those conferences. He was a scholar and scientist as was his father before him and his father before him. He accompanied the Prince of Vegeta-sei as a personal guard as well as the delegate for such things. The Saiyans were known for their strength and as for their standing in the universe, their power was only preceded by that of the Queen of the Moon, bearer of the Imperial Silver Crystal.   
  
Most people stood in fear of the "barbarian" race, but the Moon welcomed them with open arms. Not many people looked close enough to realize how good of friends the two Saiyans were with the Moon Princess and her court. It was at one of those conferences that Serenity fell in love. She fell in love, not with Prince Vegeta, who was a strong and proud man, but in love with his traveling companion, whose name she couldn't remember. Serenity loved intelligence, and the way he used his brain before his brawn had made her fall for him all the more quickly.   
  
The Chancellor of Vegeta-sei was equally smitten by Princess Serenity and luckily for him, Serenity had made plans for Darien or Endy, as she liked to call him, to meet with the chancellor and tell him of their meeting place. The four met every night of each conference they had together and had agreed that on the day that Endy and Serenity were to get married, they would announce a double wedding. Surely, the queen wouldn't be able to resist her own daughter and niece on their wedding day in front of the whole galaxy. Well, that's what they were all hoping for.  
  
Serena smiled after seeing Mina and Endy happy together and wondered where her own love went. Suddenly she felt arms wrap around her waist as she was drawn near to another body, a very warm, very Saiyan body.  
  
"Hello my sweet," whispered the voice as it kissed a trail from her shoulder to her ear. Serenity just sighed and melted in his arms. She could feel his strength around her and could hear what his voice sounded like as a whisper, but couldn't see him.   
  
He slowly dragged her to a darker part of the cavern, leaving the other two lovers alone to themselves. It was too dark for her to see his face, but she could make out his outline and what a handsome one it was. He had a large, very muscular frame and had hair that couldn't be tamed, she knew from experience. Even though she couldn't see the details of his face, she could feel him staring into her big, blue eyes, causing her to blush, for which she was thankful there was no light.   
  
His lips gently assaulted hers as he pinned her against the wall with his hands on her shoulders. The Chancellor was 2nd in strength, only to Prince Vegeta, yet it never ceased to amaze her how gentle he always was with her, especially at times like these. As the kiss deepened his hands traveled down her sides and pulled her towards his body. Serenity's hands grabbed the front of his uniform and pulled him closer to her, trying to get as close to him as she possibly could.  
  
Unfortunately Saiyans and Lunarians require air to live and so they parted, gasping for the desired oxygen. They heard someone clearing their throat and Serenity was the first to turn away from the heated gaze they were in.  
  
"It's time to go back up there." Serenity pouted which evolved into another passionate kiss. When they parted again, he growled with frustration and held her close while they made their way back to the stairs.  
  
Endy and Serenity were the first to emerge from their sanctuary, making sure that no one was around to discover their hide-away or the "Love Shack" as Aphrodite's daughter liked to call it. Hand in hand, they walked back to the dance and continued dancing through the night. That was the last time that the four would be together. The Chancellor was scheduled to go home that night and he had to actually leave after their little rendezvous.   
  
No one knew of the little affairs that were going on in the castle, not even the queen herself. She refused to abuse her powers and read her daughter's mind. She allowed herself to feel when her daughter was in danger and to some extent, her emotions. Queen Serenity never wanted to know the particulars of the origin of some of her daughter's feelings, not wanting to break her loved ones' trust and all was happy. Little did they know that their happiness was soon coming to an end.   
  
Prince Vegeta and his friend and companion were almost home, when they picked up a disturbance coming from around earth. Numbers were dialed, contacts were made and within seconds they found out the earth was under attack. The ship was ordered to turn around and head back to the moon.   
  
Queen Beryl attacked mercilessly and wiped out the inhabitants of the moon kingdom, all except one. The Queen. She raised the crystal high above her head and called upon the power of the planets. Queen Serenity felt power rush into her body as the energy of the solar system made her stronger, making the crystal stronger as well. Her only child was dead, her daughter's court who were like daughters to her were dead, and Earth's prince was dead. After banishing Beryl and trapping her with the crystal's power, she used the last of her strength and life energy to make one final wish. She wished that her daughter, her daughter's love and her friends would be sent to the future, where they would be able to start a new life. Serenity, Endy, Lita, Raye, Ami and Mina were sent to the future along with two tagalongs who had no idea what was going on, but it didn't matter because none of them would remember anyway.  
  
-------------- 


	4. Divine Gifts

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 4: DIVINE GIFTS  
  
After everyone woke up, they made breakfast and sat in the living room, sharing stories they remembered from growing up. There was much laughter and tears all the way around the living room.   
  
Serena needed to get Darien alone so she could tell him about the last dream she had. It was different from the others. She could actually smell *him*, her lover from the past. He said yes to her invitation for a drive through her beloved city and off they went.  
  
Most of the car ride was quiet, excpet for the stereo quietly playing int he background. With a gleam in her eye, Serena said, "Darien. I've figured it out!"  
  
"Figured out what?" He was confused. She could be so random sometimes.  
  
In a quieter tone than she had just used, she said, "I've figured out why it didn't seem to work between us. I realized it when I woke up this morning." Serena went on to tell him about her dream, leaving out the unnecessary details (like when she was passionately kissing the Chancellor). "I figured out the reason why we thought we were supposed to be together this whole time."  
  
"Tell me already!" Darien was getting impatient. Serena really knew how to push his buttons sometimes.   
  
"Do you remember how whenever Luna or Artemis would remember something from the past, we'd remember after them, seeing the same exact things?" She watched as he nodded his head. "Well, the reason we didn't feel like we were really destined to be together is because we really weren't."  
  
He rolled his eyes at her, "Please tell me you came up with more than that." She hit him in the shoulder.  
  
"Of course I did! You see, the crystal reacts to its master, if you like, to its master's will and knowledge. My mother's dying wish was made for my friends, my lover and I to be sent to the future."  
  
"I already knew that part."  
  
"Be quiet, I'm not done yet." She chided. "Anyway, she only allowed herself to feel what I was feeling and to know if I was in danger. She didn't want to abuse the powers she had by peeking into my mind, so she had no idea that we had secret lovers. Are you following? From what she knew, WE-as in you and I, were lovers and so you and the girls were sent to the future with me."  
  
Darien rubbed his chin, "I get it."  
  
"But there's something else too. I'm guessing that my REAL lover was sent to the future as well and since the only other friends I had had were him and Prince Vegeta, I'm sure they're roaming around somewhere."  
  
Darien sunk the new information into his overloaded brain. "They're probably going to be in that new dimension that you'll be training in," he weakly suggested. Her mind reeled as it tried to remember the dream she had with her mother.  
  
* FLASHBACK *  
  
"There is somewhere you can go for training if you wish. You will live with some friends of mine in another dimension and there you will train with a group of men who are the most powerful beings, second only to us. They can teach you how to fight and use the new powers that you have. This will be a life-changing event."  
  
* END FLASHBACK *  
  
"I think you're right! I love you! You're the best!" She squeezed Darien from the passenger seat. "I've learned that the crystal holds the knowledge of all its possessors before me and so I just have to slowly go through it and learn everything. After my birthday, I'd decided to train with Pluto every night to learn how to make use of my new abilities. Since I'm its new possessor now and its fused with my body, the more and more I use it, the more and more it's revealed things to me, like these dreams. It reveals things to me in my dreams!" The joy she felt from her miniature epiphany was shown to him by her squeezing him harder.  
  
He pulled at her arms to tell her that he couldn't breathe and hen she finally let him breathe, she asked him about how he felt about liking Mina, after apologizing.  
  
"I actually didn't want to say anything to you at first because I didn't know how you'd take it and it probably would have gotten awkward, but do you remember when we started drifting apart? I started having feelings towards her but I didn't want everyone to think that's why we broke up. They're still pretty cautious from the first time."  
  
"I'm sorry Darien. But it will be better now. Do you still love her?"  
  
"I must if I started feeling this way before you told me!" Their dinner came and they ate silently and contentedly.  
  
In the middle of Serena's dinner her head shot up. That got Darien's attention quickly. "Darien!" she semi-yelled.  
  
"Yes?" he asked with one eyebrow raised.  
  
"If you and Mina are soul mates, don't you think she'd be having these feelings too?" Serena told him that she would talk to her as soon as they got home so that they wouldn't have any more confusion.  
  
After lunch, they headed back to the temple and met up with the girls again, who had been working on a surprise for her. Serena called Mina to her and took her into another room. She asked Mina to tell her how she was really feeling about Darien, to make sure that Mina was on the same level as him so she wouldn't be afraid if he tried to make advances with her.   
  
Mina told Serena how she was worried and felt so guilty and Serena blew all that away by telling her about the dreams she had been having. Mina felt so relieved at hearing about Serena's dreams that she started crying. She had really been stressing over it for quite sometime now and Serena had felt bad that Mina felt she couldn't be there to listen to her. They hugged and cried and laughed because they were crying and went out to meet everyone else.  
  
--------------  
  
It was now 6:30 and it was nearing time for Serena to leave. Trista had shown up at the temple to make sure that everything was set the way it should be before she left this time.  
  
Somehow within the space of one afternoon her friends had managed to get her presents. Trista presented hers first.  
  
"Serena, this is a sub-dimensional pocket. You can use it anywhere, anytime and for anything you want."  
  
"Cool!" was everyone's reactions, especially the blue-haired genius'.   
  
"How do you work it?" Serena asked. Trista showed her that all she had to do was snap her fingers and a hole in the air popped open. It was about the size of a sewer manhole cover. She stuck her hand in it and watched it disappear and reappear many times.  
  
"Alright," Trista said. "Next present." A knock was heard at the door as Serena continued to open her presents. Darien went to open it and found the 3 other Outers standing at the screen.  
  
"Come in, come in," he said as he pointed towards the room that everyone was in. "We're all in here. Serena's just opening presents now. So far, she had a music book from Raye of songs she had written, from Lita she received a calendar which had 12 different pictures of the large group doing fun things as well as 12 recipes, one for each month, Mina gave Serena another photo album full of pictures from the last 4 years of their lives which also included pictures of the outers as well and more pictures from London, where she used to live.  
  
She finished opening her presents around 7:10 and got a book of Roman Mythology from Ami, and Serena thanked her for getting her a book that she would actually read. Ami blushed. Hotaru gave her jewelry and a tiara that had stones that were swirls of white and purple. She showed Serena that if she blew on them, she could make them swirl. They were special rare stones that were given to her by a friend a long time ago. Michelle and Amara gave her a set of CD's from recorded concerts that they had performed together. Serena's eyes welled with tears as she looked around the room at all her friends.  
  
Darien was the last one to give his gift. She opened it carefully, knowing that a lot of time and consideration went into this present, not that the other ones didn't. She pulled out a beautiful golden music box and when she lifted the lid, it played their song. Whatever strength was holding back her tears, it left and she cried openly as she listened to the melody.  
  
Trista showed her how to use her space pocket and they placed all of her new things in it, along with a user's manual for Serena.   
  
"I'm so sorry, I don't have any presents for any of you!" she cried a little harder when Darien pulled her close to help calm her down. She had given him back the star locket because it was meant for Darien's soul mate.   
  
"Koneko, we don't need presents from you, YOU were our present." Amara was doing her best to keep her tears in check as well.  
  
"Princess Serenity, we have one last gift for you but first we must all transform." Everyone in the room transformed into their Scout form and Darien miraculously transformed into Prince Endymion. Serena was instructed to kneel on the floor as her friends circled around her.   
  
Ami placed her right hand on Serena's head.  
  
"I, Princess of Mercury, grant unto thee gifts of Ice and Knowledge." Ami's arm glowed blue as some of her powers were transferred to Sailor Moon.  
  
"I, Princess of Venus, grant unto thee gifts of Love and Beauty."  
  
"I, Prince Endymion, grant unto thee gifts of Soul and Healing."  
  
"I, Princess of Mars, grant unto thee gifts of Fire and Spirit."  
  
"I, Princess of Jupiter, grant unto thee gifts of Lightning and Strength."  
  
"I, Princess of Uranus, grant unto thee gifts of Wind and Speed."  
  
"I, Princess of Neptune, grant unto the gifts of Music and Oceans."  
  
Serena could feel their powers becoming a part of her with the help of the crystal. It was pulling their powers into her body and bonding them with itself to make her more powerful. Everyone listened carefully while Saturn and Pluto bestowed their gifts on her.  
  
"I, Princess of Saturn, Daughter of Hades, restore unto thee the power of Life and Death."  
  
"I, Princess of Pluto, Daughter of Chronos, Keeper of the Gates of Time and Space, bestow the gift of Foresight and the Power of Travel."  
  
As soon as Pluto stepped away from Sailor Moon, she began to glow as the crystal began to translate the powers of the other Scouts into white light. After the light show was over, there in the midst of them stood Sailor Cosmos.   
  
She smiled at all of them as she quietly inspected her new clothes and outfit altogether. After staying in her transformation, Sailor Cosmos thought it wise to power down, but once in civilian form she nearly tripped and fell into the expecting arms of Darien.  
  
Serena wobbled out of his arms and looked at her friends, who silently noticed that she now had silver streaks in her hair. THEY were her family. She cried on each one of them as she squeezed them goodbye as hard as she possibly could before Pluto escorted her through the portal and into the Time Gates. 


	5. A Geneology Lesson

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 5: A GENEOLOGY LESSON  
  
Serena fell to the ground holding her stomach in pain. It felt like she had just been kicked in the stomach and now someone was stabbing her in the back. She let loose a pain-filled scream across the dark, wide expanse. Pluto tried to help her, but she couldn't grab hold of the woman rolling over and screaming. Finally the anguish stopped and when Serena opened her eyes, she saw something white and silver waving at her.   
  
She screamed and hid behind Pluto, trying to get away from it only to find it was following her wherever she went.   
  
"PLUTO! KILL IT! GET IT AWAY FROM ME!"   
  
"I can't Serena, its your tail." She calmly replied.  
  
"But I don't...(*sniff*) have a tail."  
  
"Sit down for a minute princess...we have a lot to talk about." Trista sighed. 'Why does she always leave me the dirty work?'  
  
Right as that thought entered the green-haired senshi's head, Serena's mother made a grand entrance. "Don't worry Trista, I'll tell her."  
  
She rolled her eyes. "I should hope so. I can't believe you didn't tell her before." The two friends picked at each other, which oddly enough Serena found comforting. The beautiful woman in white turned her attention to her only daughter.  
  
"Serena, I'm sorry you haven't told you this before. Let me start by telling you about your father." Serena made herself comfortable.   
  
"Long ago way before you were born, there was a beautiful kingdom in another galaxy, very far away from our home on the moon. We had a treaty with the people on that planet because we were the two strongest forces in the universe, the Lunarians and the Saiyans on Vegeta-sei.   
  
  
  
At our many conventions and parties that were held on the moon, we always invited the Saiyans because I didn't want the other people to fear or judge them for the way they were. I wanted to expose them to different things and so the moon was basically a large cultural planet, where everyone was welcome.   
  
The bond that I had with the King on that planet and his mate was a very close and strong one. Not very many people knew this but I loved that king with all my heart. After his mate died, I could feel the pain that he was going through because I was going through it myself. I transported over there as quickly as I could to help his son and him keep going. I couldn't bear to see them suffering. We got closer and closer the more time we spent together and ended up falling in love and became mates.  
  
We knew the probability of fear that would build and enemies we would have if they knew that I was pregnant with what was going to be the most powerful child in the entire universe. Greedy people wanted power Serena, and would do anything to get it so we stayed apart, as hard as it was. I used the crystal to hide your tail from anyone's sight so they wouldn't be afraid.  
  
Unfortunately, one evil being did find out, although how I don't know how. He had scheduled with the king and fooled him into thinking that he wanted the king's son to come with him and train to become the super-saiyan he was born to become. Frieza somehow knew that King Vegeta had two powerful children that could lead to his destruction, so he tried to convince the king to let him have one of them. Luckily for Vegeta, he was away on a mission with Kakkarot and some other elite soldiers and wasn't there when Frieza got angry and destroyed the planet.  
  
This was at the same time that Beryl had launched her attack on us. I still don't know whether that was planned out or whether it was fate. Frieza had a pretty good idea that you were a Moonchild because only our two species could be powerful enough to destroy him, so he wanted to destroy us before we could destroy him."  
  
The three of them wiped their tears away before the deceased queen began to speak again. "Serena, the tail you have now is a part of your heritage. I hope you are as proud of it as I am." She smiled sweetly at her daughter.  
  
Serena did a double take as she remembered something her mother said. "Wait a minute. Are you saying that Vegeta and I are brother and sister?" She watched as her mother nodded her head yes. She waited for more memories to return of them growing up together, but found none. "Why can't I remember him then?"  
  
"Vegeta didn't come to visit very often. He was off on many missions to find anyone from his home planet besides himself and Kakkarot. He spent years, trying to get strong enough to defeat Frieza, training, fighting, destroying so that he could repay him for what he did to his family and people. You see Love, Frieza was the reason that Vegeta's mother had had died." A solitary tear rolled down the queen's porcelain skin.   
  
"He came by to visit every once in a while to see us since we were family. After that, Kakkarot and Vegeta seemed nearly inseparable. They went everywhere together and rarely left each other's sides. They became used to them being the only people that they trusted besides you, me and my court."  
  
"Mother...who's this Kakkarot you keep mentioning? I don't remember his name."  
  
"Kakkarot was Vegeta's body guard and his best friend."  
  
Serena's head was churning with thought. Her mother watched carefully, hoping that Serena would come to this conclusion sooner rather than later. "Mother, did Vegeta have a Chancellor?"  
  
Her eyes lit up. "Yes he did. If I can remember correctly, Vegeta had appointed Kakkarot as his Advisor or Chancellor as was more appropriate."   
  
After a moment of silent thought, Serena asked her mother one last question. "Mother, what is the purpose of having a tail?"  
  
Queen Serenity tried to resurrect memories that had been dead for years. "My dear, a Saiyan's tail is the base of their power. Removing a Saiyan's tail was against the law in their kingdom, that's why I hid yours instead of having it surgically removed. They are very sensitive things. Most of the time Veggie and Kakkarot would keep their tails around their waists like belts so no one could touch them. If handled roughly, it could bring immense pain, but if handled gently, it could be very pleasant." She remembered the first time she had learned exactly how sensitive a Saiyan's tail was after they had been wed. Serenity's face turned a light pink before clearing her throat and mind.  
  
"All right, thank you Serenity for making it on time, but we must get going. Time doesn't wait for anyone...except me," Pluto said before walking over to a large wooden door.  
  
--------------  
  
DBZ DIMENSION  
  
Goku, Gohan and Goten were heading back from the little cave where Chi Chi's grave was. They had visited her, this being their third year without her. She had died in a hit and run while crossing the street on her way home from the store.  
  
Chi Chi had been a great mother and teacher to the boys, but as far as her and Goku's relationship went, there really wasn't a close one. The only love that Goku knew was the love he felt for his sons. In all the years they had been married, there were very few times when there was a tender moment between them so Goku really didn't know the love that other men and women felt towards their spouses. The only other couple that he knew was Vegeta and Bulma and their relationship seemed worse than Goku's so he thought nothing of it.   
  
The Son men had been sitting at home, resting after a large meal of fish when suddenly they could feel a large power nearing them. Their only thoughts were to find out who it was that had entered their part of the galaxy so off they went. Goku, Gohan and Goten flew over a forested area of their land and dropped down below the canopy of the trees to see who this new stranger was. As they were doing that, the other person's power had gone down quite a bit but they still followed close behind.   
  
Pluto and Serena had landed softly on the ground as they stepped out of the portal. Serena looked around and noticed that they were in a fairly lighted forest, so she wasn't too afraid. As they came to a clearing, they stopped and looked out across the land.  
  
"Trista, I feel like we're being followed," Serena said as she warily checked around them for stalkers.  
  
"Don't worry. We're okay." She reassured Serena as she led her towards a main road she saw in the distance. As they started to near it, the age-less woman pulled a cell phone out of her space-pocket. Serena listened quietly as Trista sped-dialed someone's number.  
  
"Hi, Bulma. This is Trista..."  
  
Serena heard screaming coming from the phone that was now being held at arms length away from her partner's ear.  
  
"Yes, I've missed you too, but I have a quick favor to ask you."  
  
"Anything."  
  
"I was wondering if you could send someone to come pick us up. We're along the main road right outside of the black forest, the NE side."  
  
"No, you don't have to worry about it...alright, I'll watch for you. Thanks."  
  
Trista hung up with Bulma and told Serena that she would be here in a few minutes to pick them up, so they found a nice grassy spot on the ground next to the road and waited. A few minutes later, like promised, came a speeding helicopter-looking thing. It lowered to the ground and out stepped a light blue-haired woman.  
  
She ran out of the plane to hug her best friend, who she hadn't seen in what seemed like hundreds of years to Bulma, which seemed like thousands to Pluto.  
  
"TRISTA!!!" squealed Bulma. The two friends shared a long squeeze as they tried to show each other who was missed more. As Trista pulled away, she turned to her princess and introduced the two to each other.  
  
"Bulma, this is my friend Serena, the girl I was telling you about?"  
  
"Oh yes! How are you Serena? I hope you're doing well."  
  
"I am, thanks," was her reply as she shook Bulma's hand and politely bowed to her.  
  
Bulma quickly ushered them inside her plane and took of towards Capsule Corp, where Serena would be living for the next long while. Bulma explained things on the way after setting it on autopilot. After they landed and were in the mansion, Bulma started to give them a tour of her beautiful home.  
  
--------------  
  
BACK AT GOKU'S HOUSE  
  
"Dad, how come I could only feel one of their ki's?" the 18 year-old Gohan asked his father.   
  
"I don't know son. I could only feel the taller one. The one with the blonde hair I couldn't sense at all. She can't be a human because you can sense all human's ki unless they're dead and she didn't look like she was dead to me." Goku was confused. Goku and Gohan both felt that the two new females looked familiar, but they couldn't tell from where. 


	6. Serena's New Home

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 6: SERENA'S NEW HOME  
  
"This is your new room, Serena." Bulma pushed her thumb to the box next to Serena's door and the large wooden door slid open. It was about 3 inches thick, but Serena decided that she would ask about it later. She was too stunned by what was in the room to remember where she was.   
  
Across the room, she saw to French doors that opened to a balcony that had curtains made of a thin, white material with silver stars decorating it. She took a hesitant step forward, afraid that everything would disappear. Pluto whispered something into Bulma's ear and disappeared without Serena noticing.  
  
She could now see her queen-sized bed towards the right side of the room with a canopy that held the same sheer material with silver stars on it. The whole place looked like it was from a dream. The ceiling and walls were painted a midnight blue and had constellations and solar systems painted on them with accuracy as more memories flooded back. Her desk was painted silver and so were the picture frames on the walls holding pictures of a beautiful moon kingdom in all it's glory.   
  
Bulma was getting a little nervous since the girl had been silent the whole time. "So...you like it?"  
  
Serena turned to face her with tears in her eyes. She ran and jumped into Bulma's unexpecting arms and hugged her as tight as she could.  
  
"Thank you Mrs. Briefs. This is the most beautiful thing I have ever seen."  
  
Bulma started to tear up as well. No one in her entire life had ever been as sincere and grateful as this girl who was squeezing the life out of her was. Bulma fell under Serena's spell like everyone else who had come in contact with her. "You're welcome dear, but could you please let go. Bulma can't breathe." Serena laughed and let go.  
  
Serena looked around and couldn't find her companion anywhere. "Excuse me miss Bulma, where did Trista go?"  
  
"Trista said she had to go back to the Time Gates but she'll be back later tonight."  
  
"Oh, okay. Wait!" Serena's head snapped back around. "You know about Trista?"  
  
Bulma smiled. "Yes, I've known about Trista for years now. We've been best friends for about 15 years...since we were freshman in college."  
  
"So that means you know about me?"  
  
The blue-haired genius nodded her head. "Yes, she told me about you and your scouts and how you came here to train. Of course, finding someone suitable enough to train you will be a little hard. Actually, it shouldn't be too hard. I'll just ask Goku. My husband isn't too hot about training with anyone under a certain power level-he's a little arrogant like that. I hope you understand."  
  
"Oh yes...I totally understand."  
  
"Good." She tried hard to think of anything else she might need to tell her. "Ah, yes. To get into your room, just press your thumb to the little pad outside the door. I'll need you to come with me so that I can program the computers to recognize your fingerprints but we'll do that after dinner. Hmm, what else is there? Oh yeah, if you need anything, BPM, or Sam, as I like to call him sometimes can answer your questions or help you find your way around the house if you get lost. We'll have to download some monologue so he can recognize your voice. Sam is very smart, he's probably my favorite part of this house, aren't you Sam?" she asked while turning her attention to a speaker in the ceiling.  
  
"Yes, Ma'am." A computerized male voice answered.  
  
"Whoa, that's a little weird. By the way, what does BPM stand for." This made Bulma smile even bigger.  
  
"BPM stands for Bulma's Perfect Man. He is in almost every aspect. I'm such a genius. I programmed him from block one and built him myself. He has no flaws as far as I know. Oh...as far as the speaker system goes into my house, you can find almost anyone. Just ask Sam and he's able to track anyone's ki signature on any of my property. Why don't you try asking him where my father is."  
  
Serena did as she was told and asked Sam where Mr. Briefs was. After a few seconds and a few beeps, Sam informed her that he was in his laboratory, working on a few robots that had been damaged. Serena was far beyond impressed.  
  
"People can open a one-sided communication link with you thru the speaker system until you respond or tell Sam that you want to talk with them. You say, 'Sam, find Bulma, I need to talk to her,' so Sam will find me and ask me, 'Serena requests a conversation with you,' or something along those lines and I can either say, 'yes' or 'no' and then he will come back on and say whether or not that person wants to speak or not. The reason it's like that is for other people when they come over and sometimes we...lets just say we don't want to be found or interrupted, they can't hear what we're doing in the room or wherever else we are."  
  
After realizing what Bulma meant by that, she turned a light pink before laughing nervously. "Are you getting hungry because I am?"  
  
"Yes...very much so." Her head was nodding furiously as her stomach was yelling at the both of them for not feeding it.  
  
"I'm sorry to brag, but I think I have what could be the best house in the world. Of course it helps to have a smart gene that runs in the family." Bulma led her to the kitchen and showed her where everything was. "Check this out Serena. This is the best. When my husband gets hungry, he could eat enough food for a regular football team. It has something to do with his race," she closed the cupboard doors where they plates where. "This is how we cook dinner in this house. Now listen carefully because this is the most difficult thing you'll have to do besides turning on the shower. Sam, I would like a plate of rice and some shoyu chicken with a large glass of water."  
  
"As you wish," the computer replied.  
  
"Ooh, I like that," Serena said.  
  
"I knew you would! I told you he was the perfect man!" she laughed at herself.  
  
Bulma walked over to what Serena thought looked like a large microwave and was the size of a normal stove and opened the door. She was amazed when she pulled out her plate of food and glass of water. "Go ahead dear and order yourself something to eat. Order anything, and I mean anything."  
  
"Okay. Sam, can I please have a plate of rice, shoyu chicken with stir-fry and a glass of water."  
  
Sure enough, when she opened the large microwave door, her plate and cup were waiting for her. "Wow! This is amazing!"  
  
"Thank you. Well, when Vegeta first came here, he stayed with me and after we got married, he had already been here for a year and I got tired of cooking for him all the time so I came up with a way to not have to cook. That man eats about 35 plates of food every meal. I'm not surprised though, being a Saiyan has its advantages."  
  
A bell went of in Serena's head. "Did you just say that Vegeta is your husband?"  
  
"Yes."  
  
"The Prince of all Saiyans is your HUSBAND?"   
  
"Yes. Why?"  
  
"Its...well, you see...he's my brother."  
  
Bulma dropped her plate. "THAT MONSTER IS YOUR BROTHER? HOW? You're so sweet and he's, well...he's himself. I don't understand how does this work?!"  
  
"Well, he's my half brother. We share the same father."   
  
"Oh. Well, that makes a lot more sense. So, how much older than you is he?"  
  
"I'm not too sure about that. Trista would know, she knows everything. Oh, please don't tell him anything about this. He doesn't know and according to the rules of Time, I'm not supposed to tell him, he has to remember on his own."  
  
"How old are you now, child?"  
  
"Um, I'm a little over 18 years old."  
  
"Well, something's wrong because Vegeta's 36 years old now."  
  
"Hmm, I'll talk to Pluto about it."  
  
"Good plan."  
  
"But please don't say anything to Vegeta about me being his sister. That could ruin everything if he found out before he was ready." Seeing the begging look in Serena's eyes, Bulma couldn't help but to agree to not say anything, but with the bond that her and Vegeta shared, it would be a little hard.  
  
"I promise." Serena let out the air she didn't know she was holding and Bulma just laughed at the fun she knew this was going to be.  
  
"Hurry and finish your dinner and we'll go shopping for clothes."  
  
"But I didn't bring any money with me..." she tried to argue.  
  
"Now Serena, Trista put you in my care and I remember her telling you that weren't supposed to bring anything except pictures. Why do you think she told you that?"  
  
She just shrugged her shoulders.  
  
"Because I told her that I had too much money and not enough people to spend it on. My father is the owner of a Billion-dollar company. What am I supposed to spend that money on besides what I already do? Don't worry about it, I beg of you. I want this much more than you'll ever know."  
  
She quickly dismissed whatever guilt she might have been feeling and ate her dinner as quickly as possible. The two took off in one of Bulma's hover cars and headed to the mall. Seeing as how it was only 6pm, they had 4 hours of prime shopping left to do and wasted no time once they were in there. After hitting the first three stores, Bulma didn't know how they were going to hit the rest of the stores if they had their arms full already. Then Serena remembered something.  
  
"Trista gave me the coolest thing as a going away present. Here, let me show you." Bulma was introduced to the world of sub-space pockets and loved every minute of it.  
  
"I think that all shopping trips will now be perfect with your 'present'. There really can be no complaining now."  
  
At 10, they headed out to the car without a bag in sight. Shopping had become all the more fun when they didn't have the problem of sore shoulders and aching arms. When they got home, Bulma dragged Serena to her lab where she programmed her fingerprints and voice waves into the BPM's database so she would be a recognized person in the house that Bulma built.   
  
She looked on as Bulma checked things on the computer screen. It pulled up a list of confirmed people that had access to the house in general and she saw some other names on the list that she didn't recognize.  
  
"Who are Goku, Gohan and Goten?" Serena asked.  
  
"Goku and I have been friends for ever. We met when I was fifteen and he was eight. I was just out of high school and I wanted to go on an expedition I guess you could say and met him along the way. He came with me and we've been friends since. He's 36 now, just like Vegeta and has 2 sons who are Gohan, who's your age and Goten who is 13."  
  
"Will I get to meet them?"   
  
"Of course. They come over all the time. Goku and Vegeta train together a lot and the boys come over to train as well and to learn things and just to eat sometimes. That's another reason that I built Sam, because I'm friends with Goku."  
  
"I didn't hear you mention anything about Goku's wife. Why isn't she on the list?"  
  
Bulma's smile faltered a bit. "Her name was Chi Chi. She died in a hit and run 3 years ago today I think. Goku flipped and when he found the guy who hit her, he took him out. He transformed as well, but that's something that I'll have to explain to you another time. I'll take you back up to your room now. You must be getting pretty tired. They'll be coming over tomorrow, most likely so you can meet them then."  
  
As soon as they got to Serena's door, Bulma had her try her thumb at the door and it worked just fine. She gave Bulma a hug and Serena was left to her empty, un-personalized room to think about everything that had gone on today. Unpacking her things would take all night long. She looked forward to every minute of it. 


	7. Year In a Day

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 7: YEAR IN A DAY  
  
"Hello, Princess." Serena screamed as an unexpected Pluto greeted her. "Jeez! Are you trying to give me heart attack!?" Trista chuckled and apologized while the blonde tried to regulate her breathing to normal again.  
  
"I'm sorry, Princess, but I had to go back to the gates to set something up for your training."  
  
"We're going to continue training now?" Her eyes got wide at the sound of training at this hour.   
  
"No highness, tomorrow. I know Bulma took you shopping so you must be tired, if she shops like she shopped when we were in college, you must be incredibly worn out."  
  
"Yeah, she told me about the two of you. How come you felt it was safe to tell her that you were Sailor Pluto?"  
  
"It's fine. Bulma has been my best friend long before you can remember. I do not believe that she knows, but was my best friend since I was a little girl. She was another child from Mercury so she was a genius from birth. She was intelligent, funny, and her temper was indescribable as well as her stubbornness and I loved her for it. In fact, I could swear that she's part Martian with that fiery temper and stubbornness. That says Mars all over. She doesn't remember our past together, which I've gotten over. I guess you could kind of think of her as Ami's cousin. Both love learning and inventing and all that fun stuff."  
  
Serena was in awe. Was everyone from the planet Mercury a genius? Probably.  
  
"I will be back in the morning for your training. I will be here at 10am your time and I hope you're up and running by then considering how late we will be starting."  
  
Serena smiled a huge smile and embraced her friend. "Thank you for not making it at 8 in the morning!"   
  
Trista hugged her back. Oh how she loved this little one. "You're welcome, but if tardiness becomes an issue, I will make it earlier."  
  
"I'll be ready. Thanks." She said while waving goodbye to the lady who was heading back to the gates of time.  
  
--------------  
  
9am the next morning, Serena dragged herself out of her bed to get ready for the day. There was no way she was going to have her training sessions be any earlier than they had to be. At about 9:20, she was ready and headed downstairs for breakfast. She got lost on the way and remembered what Bulma had told her about Sam.  
  
"Sam, could you tell me how to get to the kitchen please?"  
  
"As you wish," there were a few beeps and then Sam came back on telling her which halls to walk down and she finally made it. That took an extra five minutes because Serena had managed to get very lost. Once down there, she saw Bulma sitting at the table with a cup of coffee in her hands.  
  
"Hi Bulma!" Bulma looked up and remembered that there was another female in the house.   
  
"Hey kiddo! How did you sleep?"  
  
She smiled and answered, "The best I've slept in months." Bulma was happy. Serena made her way further into the kitchen and asked Sam to prepare her meal which she at before heading outside. "Bulma, where's Vegeta? How come he's not eating breakfast?"  
  
Bulma chuckled. "That man gets up before the sun every morning to start training and you probably won't see him until dinner."  
  
"Oh, thanks." She said and was on her way outside. She walked around the house, which was huge. Pluto appeared before her and waved.  
  
"Ready?" She nodded her head and stepped through the portal with her protector.  
  
--------------  
  
Goku flew over to Bulma's house to see who the two people were and to inquire about the one he couldn't sense at all.  
  
"Sam, who's at the door?" asked Bulma who was in her lab organizing the things that had been laying around for quite some time. She was about to start on a new project but wouldn't be able to do anything until she cleaned that dump of a lab.   
  
"It's Goku and his sons, milady," answered the machine.  
  
"Open the door, let him in." The front door of the mansion opened to reveal no one, but they were used to it now. The three males stepped in the door and waited in the front room until they heard Bulma's voice over the intercom system.   
  
"Hey guys, I'll be right with you. I'm just putting a few things away in my...aaaaahhhh."  
  
Goku jumped up from his seated position. "Bulma, are you alright?"  
  
They heard some muttering that sounded like 'stupid machines' and 'stupid short legs' before they heard her voice loud and clear. "Yeah, I'm fine. I just had a little avalanche in here, but I'll be out in a few."  
  
A few minutes later, just as she said, Bulma came out of her lab with her white coat on and glasses resting on her head. "Hey guys, long time no see."  
  
"Yeah, no kidding. How are you and Vegeta doing?" Goku didn't see any disgusted looks on her face so things must be going well.  
  
"Going well. How are you guys doing? Are you holding up over there?" She asked.  
  
"Oh we're doing well. We went by and dropped off flowers to Chi Chi yesterday..."  
  
Goten jumped up, "Aunt Bulma, where's Trunks?"  
  
Bulma smiled. "Well, since Mirai needed help rebuilding his world and since Trunks wasn't doing anything but getting in trouble and messing up this house, Mirai took him back to the future so he could put him to work. I think it is a great idea because then Trunks can be trained as well. He'll be back in a few days and they were actually wondering if you would like to go with them next week."  
  
She waited while Goten jumped up and down and begged his father to let him go.  
  
"Sure Goten, I don't see why not. It will be good for the both of you, but if Mirai comes back and tells me you've done more damage than good, I swear you'll be training with Vegeta from now on!"  
  
Goten nodded and promised that he would behave himself. "Thanks dad!" he said and jumped into his dad's arms for a hug. Bulma watched and smiled.   
  
--------------  
  
TIME GATES  
  
"This is a new training room that I've attached so I can be here at the gates and train you at the same time. When you go in, it will be one day outside this room, but inside, it will seem like one year has passed. I will train you one day a week in here for four weeks, so every week you'll be year older. You will come out at 22 years old. This way, we don't waste any time on training, yet you'll get the breaks you deserve."  
  
Sailor Pluto had set up a speaker system in the time chamber so that she could instruct Serena from the outside. Every once in a while, she would go in to train her. This year they worked on meditating and feeling and becoming familiar with the new powers that her senshi gave her. Each month she concentrated on a new planet's power. Pluto was precise in her training and helped her to get the basics down each month for each power that she possessed. She could now do all of her senshi's attacks and Pluto came in the last two months of the invisible year to train her with her moon powers.  
  
When she first entered the white room, she didn't see anything and a few minutes later, she saw something making their way back to the entrance. It was Serena, but it didn't look like the girl she remembered. This girl had half silver hair and half golden hair. Her eyes were a mix of blue and silver as well. Her clothes were worn and torn and her hair was messed up.  
  
"Trista, is that you?" Serena ran to the open arms of the keeper of the gates. Trista squeezed the girl in her arms. One look into her eyes and she knew it was the same person. "How have I been doing?"  
  
Serena was such a determined person and Pluto didn't know how her protectors managed to miss that quality when she was still living with them. "I am so proud of you. You have come so far in these last few months. Your mother is very proud of you also. You have gone beyond what normal powers any of the other queens before you had except the goddess herself." Serena was exploding inside from the happiness she felt as she heard how so many people were proud of her, but she new that there was more power within her. She could feel it but didn't know how to reach it. Maybe next time.   
  
There was something else that had been bothering Serena for a little while too. She would bring it up next week when she would come back, if she did at all. "Oh, I almost forgot. Happy 19th birthday princess. Here are letters from home," Pluto said as she handed Serena a little mailbag, "and here is some cake that Lita made. There are a few pieces left for you and Bulma. They ate the rest of the cake and celebrated with you. They recorded it too." The older senshi chuckled when she remembered what the movie was like. They rested that day and had cake and watched the video in the sleeping chambers that were built into the building. Serena laughed and cried as she watched clips throughout the year that her friends had put together for her. That night she slept and had sweet dreams.  
  
--------------  
  
BACK AT BULMA'S HOUSE  
  
"So Bulma," she snapped back to reality once she realized that someone was trying to talk to her.  
  
"Yes?"   
  
"The reason I came over was because I wanted to know about something, or someone."  
  
"Uh huh?"  
  
"Right. Well, yesterday..." Goku explained how he had sensed a woman with a higher than normal source of power. She was about 5' 10" with her heels on, had green hair and how he couldn't sense at all the younger looking woman that was with her. He told her how he saw Bulma pull up and take the women away and wanted to know a little more about her and whether or not she was friend or foe.  
  
"Her name is Serena and she's a friend of a friend. I agreed to let her stay here because she needed to work some things out and I thought it would be great to have another female in the house. As for her ki, I don't know why you couldn't feel it. I'm not into that kind of stuff. I can't do that."  
  
"Will we get to meet her anytime soon?" Gohan inquired.   
  
She looked at a boy she could have very well called her own son. "Yes. She might be coming home late tonight but I'm sure you could probably meet her tomorrow if you want. I'm just going to have her help me out and teach her a little about robotics." The boy was pleased.  
  
"Gohan, could you excuse your father and I for a little while. I have something that I need to talk to him about."  
  
"Sure Bulma."   
  
"What is it you wanted to talk to me about Bulma?" Goku looked at her with quizzical eyes.  
  
"I know you've lived out there for most of your life and your sons have lived there all of their lives, but Goku...I was wondering if you guys would come and live with us. You and your family can live in the guesthouse next door. Please say yes. I would love to have you living right next to us so that I don't have to go out to your house all the time. You guys can use your house as an extra little getaway if you wish, like while you're training and too tired to come home or whatever."  
  
"My new friend is going to be living with us and she needs some extra training. I know that Vegeta would love to have you guys live here as well, that way if he needs to spar or anything, you'd be right there!" Bulma had never begged for anything in her life so she was doing the best she could. Of course she was doing this for two parties really. The first was hers because Goku was basically family and secondly for Serena because Goku would play a major role in her life that she wasn't aware of.  
  
He thought about it but decided that he couldn't actually decide. "Is it okay if I talk to the boys about it first? I'm sure they'd like a say in it, although I think I already know what the answer is going to be."  
  
"That's perfectly fair." She smiled and walked over to Goku and hugged him. They truly had been best friends for a long time if Goku could hug her like he was. "O...kay...Bulma can't breathe!" she gasped for air as soon as he let go. 'man, those two really are made for each other,' was her last thought before heading into the kitchen. "Hey, why don't you come and get something to eat? A couple more hours and she should be home."  
  
"Alright." Goku went and had a large meal while Bulma ate. To pass time, Bulma sat down on the couch and pulled out large photo albums of when he was a kid and told him stories that she knew he wouldn't remember.  
  
Gohan by this time had found Goten, who was with Mr. Briefs in his lab, and made it back to the living room where his dad and Bulma where rolling on the floor, laughing hysterically.  
  
"I remember that, hahahaha...that was after we dyed your hair purple-HAHAHAHAHAHA!"  
  
Neither boy had seen their dad this happy and care free in a long time, not even while Chi Chi was still alive. They laughed along as Bulma shared stories with them about the adventures they had searching for the dragon balls. The boys laughed heartily too until they heard a singsong voice over the intercom.   
  
"Bulma, are you there?" She had already called a couple of times and had received no answer, but she couldn't understand because Sam had said that she was just in the living room with Goku and his sons. Maybe they just couldn't hear her.  
  
"BULMA!"  
  
Bulma wiped her tears away and answered, "Back already, Serena?"   
  
"Already? It's almost 11!" she chuckled. "I'm sorry, I'm just so tired from today's training. I was just wondering if Sam delivers food to rooms?"  
  
"Hmm, I don't know," she rubbed her chin as she tried to think. "Sam, do you deliver food to rooms?"  
  
"No milady, it is not in my programming."  
  
"Okay. I'm sorry Serena, but he doesn't right now. I'll program him to do it later 'cause that's a great idea." She smiled her mischievous smile. "Why don't you come down and get something and then I can introduce you to my friends." She waited for the blonde's reaction.  
  
"Is it okay if I came down in my training clothes? I'm too tired to change."  
  
"Oh yes, that's fine. They won't mind, I assure you. They probably look worse than you do after they finish training."  
  
"Alright, I'm coming down."  
  
After Goku snapped out of whatever trance he was held in by her voice, he asked Bulma again why he wasn't able to sense her presence of feel her ki.  
  
Bulma just shrugged and turned her attention to the stairs where she was waiting for her beautiful new friend to come down. With her photographic memory, the person that she saw leave this morning wouldn't be the same person she was about to see come down the stairs.  
  
'Why am I getting nervous?' Goku thought to himself as he followed Bulma's gaze to the stairway. 


	8. The Tenshi

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 8: THE TENSHI  
  
An explosion was heard coming from the direction of the Gravity machine outside.  
  
Bulma's face turned bright red when she realized what exactly it was that just blew up. "THAT'S THE 2ND TIME THAT JERK HAS BLOWN THAT MACHINE UP IN THE LAST WEEK! WHY THAT GOOD-FOR-NOTHING-UNGRATEFUL-SON-OF-A..."  
  
"BULMA! Why don't I go check on Vegeta? I'll make sure everything's okay!" Goku cut off Bulma before she could swear in front of Goten.  
  
She tried her best to control her breathing and Serena who had heard the whole thing, watched as Goku's retreating figure left the house. Gohan didn't want to face Bulma's wrath and so he followed his father out the door. All that was left was Goten because he didn't know what was going on.  
  
"Hi Bulma."  
  
Bulma saw Serena appear right after the guys had left and she sighed. 'How in the world did that manage to happen?' she asked herself referring to the timing of the arrival and departures. Bulma noticed that Serena looked a little different when she had come down. Her hair was a little longer, maybe even a little more silver than it was when she left. Her blue tank top was torn in several places and singed as well. And were those wings?  
  
Serena had gone to the little instant food-maker and pulled out the plate of food she had ordered from Sam before she got to the kitchen, so it would ready and waiting for her when she got there. Serena pulled open the utensil drawer and pulled out a fork and knife and headed back up to her room.  
  
"Where'd your friends go? I thought you said they were here?" Then she saw Goten. "Hi! What's your name?"   
  
Goten and Bulma were staring at Serena's wings that she had tucked close to her back so it wouldn't cut anything on the way down.   
  
The little boy crinkled his face at her. "My name's Goten. Are you an angel?"  
  
Serena laughed. "What makes you think I'm an angel little one?"   
  
He pointed at her wings, which were sitting beautifully on her back. She noticed them too and with an 'oops' she made them disappear. "Shh," She said while pressing her finger to her lips. "No, I'm not an angel. My name is Serena."  
  
He shook his head at her. "No, you're the angel that I prayed for to help my dad. You're my tenshi! Mom was right! Kami does answer prayers!" He ran and squeezed her around the waist and Bulma almost broke down in tears. She knew what Goten meant about helping his dad and how hard a time Goku had trying to raise to sons and two demi-saiyans on top of that.  
  
"I'm not your tenshi little one." She tried to tell him but he kept saying no and insisting that she was. Serena looked helplessly at Bulma who was just sitting there helpless at the situation.  
  
"You ARE my tenshi! I prayed for you and Kami brought you to me so you could help my dad! Kami doesn't lie! See..." Goten pulled a scribbled pencil drawing of an angel that had long hair like she did in two buns on her head and wings at her back. "Kami told me this is what you would look like."  
  
Serena's eyes began to water as she saw the likeness of the picture to herself and how determined he was about her being the angel he prayed for. She knelt in front of him and looked him in the eyes. "You're right! You're absolutely right. I am your tenshi. I'm sorry, I think I hit my head on the way down and forgot, but I remember now. Could you ever find it in your heart to forgive me?"  
  
Goten smiled a big smile and jumped into her arms again. She squeezed back and felt a tear drop from her eye for the little boy. She put him at arms length, cleared her throat and eyes and said, "May I be excused now Goten? I have to eat my dinner now because even tenshi get hungry and I think my food is getting cold." When he nodded his head, she stood and ruffled her hair before she grabbed her plate off the table and headed up to her room.  
  
Even though Goten was six years old, he was almost exactly the way his father was at the same age, hopeful and full of dreams and fantasies, or so Bulma thought as she tried to remember Goku back then. Goten started dancing around the living room while Bulma dried her eyes at the touching scene that just took place. Two men walked through the door and one spoke, "Goten, what are you doing?" Goten stopped and faced his brother and father. "I just found my tenshi...I just found my tenshi..." he said and continued his little victory dance.  
  
Goku had a confused look as he looked to Bulma to try to get an explanation for his son's rather awkward behavior. "He thinks Serena is a tenshi," she tried to whisper so she wouldn't upset Goten again.  
  
His eyes turned to her and glared. "She is a tenshi! You saw them didn't you? On her back?"   
  
"Yes, I did. But remember, that's supposed to be a secret." He nodded his head as he remembered she had told him not to tell.  
  
"Am I missing something here?" Goku was really confused now.  
  
"He just met Serena and she...well, she'll need to explain a few things herself." She turned to see what Gohan was doing and he was off in the kitchen making himself something to eat, as he had been told he could do many times before. "So what was going on outside with Vegeta?" she tried to change the subject, hoping that it would take Goku's mind off of Serena and sure enough it did.  
  
"You were right. He blew up the machine. I don't know why he trains like this. I think that no matter how hard he tries, we'll always be equal in strength, but I don't want to be the one to tell him that, not after everything he's been through already."  
  
Some would think that Bulma was ignorant when it came to her husband, but from what information she got from her husband through their bond and what she learned from Goku, she knew enough to understand him to a certain point. She learned to love him despite the difficulty he had when it came to telling her, but she could tell, remembering how he was when she first met him to the point they were at now with their relationship, he had come quite a long way. Bulma had a great respect for her prince, yet there were still many things that she would never know about him and maybe never hope to know about him.   
  
Gohan was making his way back to the living room and over heard Bulma say to his father, "Don't forget my earlier offer. I would love it if you would accept." He nodded his head and motioned for his boys to follow him. They were going home again.  
  
It had been a few days since the Son men had been back to CC, but there they were with their house in their hands, literally. Goku talked with his Sons and they thought it would be great to live with Trunks and his family, so Bulma had sent some moving capsules with Mirai who had returned with Trunks the day before.   
  
With the way Trunks had packed Goku's house, it was easy to unpack it all again. It only took them 6 hours to unpack everything, considering the fact that they didn't have much to begin with.  
  
After they finished, they walked over to Bulma's house to have dinner with her family. Once they were all sitting around the table including the prince himself, they started a light chatter. Mirai and Trunks went and told them how much progress they had made in rebuilding and cleaning the city. They had found no survivors, which made living there a little lonely and extremely quiet. They had thought of a brilliant plan.  
  
"We thought that maybe we could use it as a getaway. Because of all the things we've done to change time, my world won't be affected anymore, except to make its own future." Mirai smiled at the plan he had come up with.  
  
"Sounds good to me, but I'll have to ask my friend about that. She'd be able to tell me if you're right about that place being untouchable."  
  
"You have a friend that can tell you whether or not my home can be touched? Right mother." It was so frustrating sometimes not being able to tell people about Trista. She thought for a second that it might be okay to tell her family, but with the time traveling that Trunks did, she thought it best to hold off for a while.  
  
Vegeta could sense his mate's sudden sadness and glared at his future son. "Don't you ever let me catch you using that tone towards your mother, do you hear me? Don't ever disrespect my mate or there will be hell to pay!" It was at times like this that Bulma felt truly loved by her strong prince. Her older son immediately apologized for being so rude to her and kept his eyes low to his food until he was done eating.  
  
"So, where's Serena? How come she's not eating with us?" Goku asked. He had been curious to see what his son had been worked up about over the last few days.  
  
"She's sleeping right now. She actually had to change her schedule to fit her training in. She trains with her mentor at night, comes home in the morning, eats breakfast and helps out in the lab with me and then sleeps for 10 hours until she has to wake up for training again."  
  
"That's a little odd, don't you think?" Gohan asked.  
  
"Yes, but she told me it was for the safety of everyone and didn't say anything after that."  
  
--------------  
  
A FEW HOURS LATER  
  
Serena heard the voices downstairs and decided that she would just eat with Pluto tonight. She didn't want to see everyone at once. When she got there Pluto had a mischievous gleam in her eye.  
  
"What are you hiding from me?" Serena asked while trying to stare her down, which was proving to be rather ineffective.   
  
"I brought someone to help train you tonight. We're going to start working on your physical attacks." Out of the shadows stepped a tall lean figure wearing sweatpants, tennis shoes and a tank top. As the figure neared, Serena saw the blonde mass of short hair that was piled on that person's head.  
  
"AMARA!" 


	9. Running with the Wind

--------------  
  
CHAPTER 9: RUNNING WITH THE WIND  
  
"Hello koneko!" Amara squeezed her kitten back.  
  
"So, you're going to help with my physical training huh?" Serena's eyes were beaming with joy at seeing one of her friends here that she missed so much.   
  
Amara stepped back and looked at the young girl before her. She knew something was different and Serena realized what she was doing. "You look...different." Amara's hand was rubbing her chin in an attempt to solve the problem. Then she saw it. Serena was a little more toned, she lost the last of her baby fat, and had more silver in her hair and little specks in her eyes. "You look older somehow."  
  
Serena smiled and nodded. She hadn't seen her friend in a little over a year, but to Amara it had only been a few days since she had left. Serena took charge of the situation, even though she was still overjoyed and wished they could just sit and talk. "Lets start."  
  
Amara wasn't ready for that but shrugged her shoulders. "Yes Ma'am." Immediately they got into fighting stances and Amara lightly attacked Serena.  
  
She blocked Amara's punches and kicks and knew she was going easy on her. "Don't you dare go easy on me Amara. It's not going to help me!" Serena said as she started an attack on Amara, who was having to dodge a few times to save her chest and head.  
  
"If you say so." Amara attacked more fiercely and Serena could only take the hits. She dodged and countered but couldn't do it fast enough that she could attack back. Once she tried to but got knocked down. She noticed that she had been spending too much time on the floor and not enough time standing up and got angry. A little spark of electricity flickered on her being and somehow she felt an unknown power come from somewhere.   
  
Now she had enough stamina to keep up with the wind senshi but didn't have enough skill yet. After the third hour they both were too tired to carry on. Amara was amazed at how well Serena did. She hadn't done much physical fighting as Sailor Moon, so where did she learn how to do that?  
  
Serena was so proud of herself. She had lasted for three hours against Amara, which was much more than she had expected. Sure her arms and legs were too sore to move but hey, what's a little pain-especially when it was for the greater good.  
  
"So how have you guys been?" Serena asked as she looked over to her worn out companion.   
  
Amara chuckled. "We've been good. Nothing big has happened in the last few days that you've been gone."  
  
"I've only been gone a few days?! I've been gone for more than a year!" Then she remembered that she had been in the Training Room for a year, which had only been a day on both earths. "Oh, never mind. I guess it has only been a few days for you guys."  
  
"HA! I was wondering why you looked a little older to me. It's because you are!" They sat for a few more minutes and joked around before Serena knew she needed more.  
  
"Amara, I need your help with something."  
  
"Anything for you, koneko."  
  
Serena then explained how she wanted Amara to teach her how to use her powers of the wind and sky to her advantage. After that hard workout it was hard for her to find the strength to do more, but as she did all those times she meditated, she found an extra source of power and stood up. She reached out her hand to help Amara up and as soon as their hands touched, energy flowed through Amara's hand and into her body.  
  
"I have a better idea. How about first we eat and THEN I show you." She knew what Serena's reaction would be to that and they called Pluto.  
  
"Yes?"  
  
"Can we eat now please Puu?" Serena smiled her 'you-know-you-can't-resist-this-look' smile and of course, Pluto couldn't, not that she wanted to.  
  
"I was wondering when you were going to ask. Instead of me preparing it for you, we're going to have this be a part of your training as well. You're going to prepare food with your powers. Let's just say that if you can't do it, you can't eat."  
  
Ooh, a survival threat. Serena was all over it. After receiving a few instructions on how she should go about trying to conjure up a meal and about an hour later, she got food that tasted good, food that didn't disappear and food that made them all full.  
  
"Excellent job princess! You are a very quick learner." She knew that the girl didn't have much self-esteem and didn't know why she didn't let this side of her show when she was living in her dimension. In school, Serena understood everything her teachers told her but she was always daydreaming so it seemed as if she didn't understand. Only now that she was away from those who were trying to protect her all the time, did she start to believe in herself and what she was capable of. No longer did she whine, no longer did she say she couldn't do it but now she attacked every challenge head on with confidence.  
  
After their meal, Trista explained how to make the food disappear and sure enough, Serena picked it up on the second try. Amara was impressed and Serena didn't miss the shocked look on her face.  
  
Serena didn't know the full capabilities of the crystal nor her Saiyan powers, so she didn't realize that while she rested, her body was healing. They got up and Serena had Amara show her how to be the wind senshi and Amara was amazed once again at how she didn't seem to be fazed from the 3 hour, non-stop training that they had just undergone. After another 3 hours of training at top speeds, Serena decided that it was time to stop.  
  
After preparing another little snack for them before they parted, Serena and Trista waved goodbye to their friend. Trista handed Serena a book. "This is a book on your Saiyan heritage. This goes into depth somewhat on the traditions, history and anatomy of the Saiyan race. It was written by someone from one of the moons of Mercury. It will come in very handy so it is vital that you read this."   
  
Serena took her word for it and then asked her, "If there's one for Saiyans, is there a book describing what the crystal does and my Lunarian heritage?"  
  
'This girl is quick,' Trista silently thought. "Yes there is, but I cannot get you that book." She watched as Serena's face fell a little. "Let me explain something, Princess. You see, the Lunarians were the most powerful beings in the entire universe because of their purity. The line of queens after the reign of the Goddess Selene, had kept records of how they were able to use the crystal, but in order to keep the book and their sacred things protected, they had made the book a part of the crystal, so only those of the true descent would be able to see it and read it. Your mother had told me that the book was created with the power of the crystal and the way she got it, she never told me so that I wouldn't be held accountable and I wouldn't be able to give that information out to the enemy if they ever did catch me."  
  
Serena was deep in thought when a small voice entered her head. "My love, all you have to do is ask and with asking, all things are possible." Serena smiled sweetly as she heard her mother's voice instructing her. 'Ask,' was her last thought before she concentrated on the crystal's power.  
  
Trista was truly amazed at how quick her little charge could pick things up. She knew that if she would be given the chance, she could solve anything by herself so she gave her all the chances she could. The green-haired one saw something sparkling and taking shape in Serena's hand. After a few minutes, there was the Sacred Book lying in the hands of the young girl.  
  
Serena opened her eyes and saw that it had worked. She began to do a little jig and chant, "I did it, I did it..." Pluto just chuckled at her antics and watched as she made it disappear again. Turning to Pluto, she said, "I think I will read that one when I am in the Training Room. I don't think it's safe to keep that thing out, not even in here."  
  
"You are becoming much wiser, princess. I can see how you will be a great leader when your day comes."  
  
"Thank you," Serena whispered and choked back a tear. After squeezing the life out of yet another victim, she placed the Saiyan book into her space pocket and readied herself to go home.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena had only been awake for 8 hours, so she carried on her usual routine and went to help Bulma in the lab. Serena had never felt better about herself as Bulma treated her as an equal instead of a stupid and slow person as she was thought to be back in her world. She could even fix up those robots that Vegeta would destroy in the gravity machine now.   
  
"Bulma, are you in there?" she called thru the door. When she listened for her voice, she could hear clanging of metal. She pressed her pointer finger to the pad on the side of the door and it slid open for her, revealing Bulma in her lab coat, working on yet another robot. As she walked in, she could see 7 robots lying in a heap on the floor.  
  
She saw the mess that her brother had made, the same brother who she had yet to see, who she had now waited for over a year to see and still hadn't. "Hi Bulma!"  
  
Bulma jumped at the sound of another person in the room and calmed down once she realized who it was. "Oh, hey! How did training go?"  
  
"It went great. I'm a little sore but all's well." Serena thought to herself and then out loud, "Bulma, do you have a robot that can read?"  
  
She thought for a minute and then her face lit up. "Yes, as a matter of fact I do. Why?"  
  
Serena went and told her about the Saiyan book she just received during her training and thought it would be good if they could listen to it while they worked on the remaining robots. Bulma thought it a great idea so she went and pulled the robot out of one of the storage closets. Serena handed the book to Bulma who set it up with the robot and listened as it read from the history part of the book. By the time it was finished reading the programmed pages, the two women were done repairing the broken machines and so they put everything away, including the reading robot and headed out for lunch. Serena put the book back into her space pocket and joined Bulma in the kitchen.  
  
"While you were training this morning, I went and reprogrammed Sam to deliver food to rooms, but only your room and my room. Trunks room won't be able to because I don't want him having ants in there along with all the other strange creatures he keeps."  
  
Trunks? She hadn't mentioned him before. "Bulma, what's Trunks?"  
  
Bulma laughed. "I'm sorry dear, Trunks is mine and Vegeta's son. He's about the same age as Goten...I think. He has soft, lavender hair, bright blue piercing eyes and is quite the looker. We're going to have problems when he gets older. Oh, just to warn you, if you think you're seeing double of him, you are. Trunks' future self comes back every once in a while to visit because his world was destroyed. He takes his little self there to help him rebuild and train him. Oh, in order to keep them straight we call the older one Mirai, since he's from the future, and the younger one, well, we just call him Trunks."  
  
"Since they're your children, that would make them my nephews right?"  
  
"Hey, I didn't even think of that! You're absolutely right!"  
  
They laughed during lunch as Bulma filled them in on all the little things that went on in their lives. Space travel, villains, treasures, princes and planets. Serena found she could easily believe it because her life was kind of the same way minus the planet-traveling. Suddenly they heard the stomping and huffing, something that Serena had never heard before...yet that voice sounded oddly familiar.  
  
"Woman! I'm hungry!" 


	10. Restoring the Moon

--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
Trunks? She hadn't mentioned him before. "Bulma, what's Trunks?"  
  
Bulma laughed at her short memory. "I'm sorry dear, Trunks is mine and Vegeta's son. He's about the same age as Goten...12 I think. He has soft, lavender hair, bright blue piercing eyes and is quite the looker. We're going to have problems when he gets older." Her son was quite handsome and he was only 12. "Oh, just to warn you, if you think you're seeing double of him, you are. Trunks' future self comes back every once in a while to visit because his world was destroyed. He takes his little self there to help him rebuild and train him. Oh, in order to keep them straight we call the older one Mirai, since he's from the future, and the 12 year old, well, we just call him Trunks."  
  
"Since they're your children, that would make them my nephews right?"  
  
"Hey, I didn't even think of that! You're absolutely right!"  
  
They laughed about things over lunch and Serena explained what happened during her training, only leaving things out about the Book of Light or the book explaining the use of the crystal. Suddenly they heard the stomping and huffing, something that Serena had never heard before...yet that voice sounded oddly familiar.  
  
"ONNA! I'm hungry!"  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 10: RESTORING THE MOON  
  
"Looks like Vegeta's done training."  
  
Vegeta? Serena didn't want to meet him yet. She wasn't ready. "I'm going upstairs. Call me when he's done and gone, please?" She took off not waiting for Bulma's reply.  
  
"Woman, where's my food!"  
  
"Hello to you too your highness," Bulma mocked as her mate walked in. "As for your lunch, you can order it yourself. You stink and I don't want to lose my lunch." She kissed him on the cheek before heading back to the lab.  
  
"Where's that girl and how come I never see her?" He was staring and waiting for answers.  
  
"She's resting right now so she can be ready for her training tonight." She said while walking out of the room.  
  
"Where does she train, onna?"  
  
Bulma turned back to him, "I don't know." She walked away and into her lab to finish the repairs to some other machines.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena ordered 7 plates of food to her room and devoured them all. She had a pretty small appetite for one of her race, but she thought less about that and more about how delicious her food was.   
  
For the first few nights that she was here, she knew that something was missing but couldn't figure out what it was. Last night before she headed off for her training, she figured it out. There was no moon here, so she asked Pluto about it and found out that it had been destroyed. Serena thought of how she could fix this. Serena didn't have enough time between sleeping and training to actually look around at the things in her room. Everything was beautiful, and thru one of the many conversations that she had with Bulma, she found out that Trista was also an interior decorator and a seamstress, so she had picked out most of the things that would adorn Serena's new bedroom. She was so grateful for the friends she had and how much they did for her.  
  
When she ran out of things to do, she pulled the Saiyan book out of her space pocket and began to read it again.  
  
'By staring at the light of the full moon, Saiyans transform into their ape form, which is the 2nd most powerful transformation known to our race. The only ways to stop from transforming and destroying its surroundings is to have the shots that disable the tail for a certain period of time, have the Saiyan's tail removed, which is now and forever will be illegal and inhumane, and to destroy the moon. The first most powerful transformation is that of the Super Saiyan, but we have yet to discover the path to becoming one.'  
  
'Hmm,' she thought. 'I just have to find out which Saiyan's have their tails and which ones don't.' She had an idea. Goten, Goten my sweet protector, where are you?   
  
--------------  
  
Goten was out in the forest with Trunks training and he heard a voice enter into his head. He called for Trunks to stop and he waited for the voice to come back.  
  
Goten, can you hear me?   
  
"Who are you?" he asked to no one.  
  
"Who are you talking to?" Trunks' tilted his head to the side. He couldn't sense anyone around so he was wondering.  
  
Goten, it's me, Serena.   
  
"Hi Tenshi!"  
  
Trunks decided that he must have hit Goten too hard while they were sparring and he was hallucinating now.   
  
Goten, can you talk with your mind? Try speaking without using your voice, think *at* me Goten  
  
Like this?   
  
Excellent! Serena was smiling as she taught Goten how to use telepathy.  
  
Goten, do you know who has a tail?   
  
Yeah! I do and Trunks does too, but we're the only ones. Why?   
  
I was wondering if I could talk to you guys, can you come to my room, I have to ask you guys something, but make sure no one sees you.   
  
"Cool!" I mean cool! The little boy could hear Serena laughing inside his head.   
  
Can you two come now?   
  
Sure. We'll be there in a minute. he said. Goten looked at Trunks and motioned for him to follow.   
  
"Who were you talking to?" Trunks asked him.  
  
"I was talking to my tenshi. Do you want to meet her?"  
  
"Yeah!" With that, they raced to Serena's bedroom window and found it was open.  
  
"Come in," they heard a voice call from inside the room.  
  
The two little boys landed on the balcony and made sure that no one could see them, which didn't really matter since both of them could be detected by their ki signatures. They 'oohed' and 'aahed' as they looked at the solar system in the room with all the shiny stars and pretty curtains.   
  
"Hello little ones!" Trunks, never having met her before got into a fighting stance and Goten ran up to her and gave her a big hug.  
  
"She doesn't look like a tenshi to me!" Goten turned around and glared at his best friend.   
  
"She is a tenshi and she can prove it, can't you Serena?" She looked at his eyes and knew that she would never be able to deny him anything.  
  
"Anything for you my little dreamer." She closed her eyes and the boys watched as a little shimmering light surrounded her body. Within seconds, her wings appeared behind her back and Trunks' mouth was gaping open.  
  
"See," Goten said, "I told you she was a tenshi!"  
  
Serena chuckled as she looked at her nephew. As much as she wanted to, she decided that it would be wise to not let him know just yet that she was his aunt.  
  
"You must be Trunks. I'm Serena, it's a pleasure to meet you your highness." She reached a hand out and Trunks shook it.   
  
'She must really be an angel if she knows my name and that I'm a prince. She feels...familiar,' he thought.   
  
"Nice to meet you too. Can I feel your wings?"  
  
She didn't see any problem with it so she told them to sit on the bed while she stretched them out. The boys watched as she stretched out the wings that looked like they were about 6 1/2 feet long each wing.   
  
"Mm, it feels so good to stretch them again." The boys walked up and were going to touch the ends and tips of her wings before she remembered what happened when she tried it. "Wait!" The boys jumped back, surprised that she had yelled like that. "I'm sorry to have scared you. I just wanted to warn you that the feathers on the outside are dangerous and are very sharp. You can touch the ones on the inside. They're safer, softer and warmer."  
  
The best friends marveled at how soft they were and when they were done, she pulled her wings close to her again and they all sat on the bed.  
  
"What did you want to ask us, Tenshi?"  
  
"Oh, that's right! I wanted to know if you had tails." Both boys unraveled their tails and waved them at her.   
  
"Why?" Trunks inquired.  
  
"I wanted to bring the moon back to this world because I'm lonely without it and it's my main source of power, but I read that if Saiyans have tails, then they might transform."  
  
"Yeah, my dad told me about how Piccolo destroyed it a long time ago."  
  
"Who's Piccolo?"  
  
"He's a friend of our family's."  
  
"Oh, okay. Well anyway, I was wondering if with your permission I could bring it back."  
  
Trunks was confused as why he was asking them. "Why are you asking us?"  
  
Serena smiled, "Because if I were to bring it back, then I would have to use a little bit of magic to keep you from transforming while the full moon was out."  
  
"You mean cut off our tails?" Goten was a little frightened at the thought of having his tail removed. Both of them heard about how painful the process was.  
  
"No, I wouldn't remove it, just...hmm, how do I put this? I would just use a little magic to make sure that your tail wouldn't activate if you guys ever looked at the full moon. Think of it as your tail sleeping when the full moon came out. You'd have a little less strength, but only a little and you'd still have control over it."  
  
She waited as they thought about it.  
  
"Okay! I'm in!" They exclaimed in unison.   
  
Serena's eyes grew teary. "Thank you. You don't know how much this means to me." Serena thought about how she would be able to communicate with her mother once the moon was back and how she wouldn't feel lonely any more.  
  
"So what do we do?"  
  
She sat the boys down on her bed and stood behind Goten first while Trunks looked on. She asked if it was okay, then gently held onto Goten's tail with her hands. As she began to wish, Goten could feel his tail tingling with magic and after she was done, she hugged him and thanked him.   
  
"Wow! That didn't hurt at all!" She chuckled and then had Trunks sit down next.   
  
She could finally bring back the moon. All the problems were out of the way since Goten and Trunks assured her that they were the only ones with tails. They wanted to watch when she would bring back the moon so she told them to come back at 4 o'clock and they could go to the forest together.  
  
At 4 o'clock, the two boys flew back to her window and she was sitting at her desk, typing away.   
  
"Knock knock."  
  
Serena turned to see her two little boys standing on her balcony. "Come in." She put away her laptop and made her wings appear. A sudden realization hit her. "Wait, you guys can fly?"  
  
The boys shrugged their shoulders and nodded like it was nothing. "How many of you can fly?"   
  
"All of us," came Trunks' voice "my dad, me, mom can't fly, Goku, Gohan, Goten, the rest of the earth's special forces except for Yajarobi but I think it's cause he's too fat! Can you fly?"  
  
"Yes. I learned how a long time ago. But how can you fly if you don't have wings?"  
  
"How can you fly with wings? We use our ki."   
  
Serena fastened her cloak around her before telling Sam to turn off the lights in her room. She figured that she could ask them about it later and walked to her open balcony. She pushed the chair to the edge and stretched out her wings before jumping off the edge. Oh how she loved the sensations she got while flying. She could glide on the air for now, but would have to flap her wings a bit to keep up and speed up to the boys.  
  
"I know this great spot we can go. It's big and open so you can see the sky." She followed the two little Saiyans to a clearing in the large forest. Once they landed, Serena instructed the boys to stand on the side and gave Goten her cloak to hold on to for her.   
  
They watched silently as she thrust her hand into the air and shouted, "I call upon the power of the Cosmos!" Lights and ribbons surrounded her body before transforming her into the most powerful of the Senshi. Sailor Cosmos stood where Serena had just been and the boys began to blush because of how short her skirt was. Her wings stood proudly away from her body as she raised both hands into the air and called out a command in a language that neither boy understood.  
  
They watched as something started to glow on her forehead and sent an almost invisible beam into the afternoon sky. After the mini light show was over, she detransformed and walked over to the boys.   
  
"All done! Now we just wait to see what happens tonight."  
  
The boys had asked her to sit and watch them train and she happily agreed. She put her cloak back on to keep warm and sat against a large boulder where she was sure to stay out of the way. She watched them train for a couple of hours while eating something she conjured up. While the boys were taking a break, she asked them if they could train her and they agreed, but told her she had to learn how to use her ki first.   
  
That took about an hour and they thought it was pretty cool how fast the tenshi could learn things. They taught her how to fly using her ki, but she kept falling after rising, so they said they would have Mirai teach her later. It was getting late and darker so they started to head back. About a mile away from CC, Serena said that she wanted to start walking so that no one would see her or her wings so they landed softly and she pulled her cloak around her.  
  
Goku hadn't seen Goten all day long and when he asked Bulma where he was, she just said that he was off sparring with Trunks in their usual place, the forest. After searching for their ki, he sensed them in the forest and left it alone. It was about dinnertime and the sun had already set. Serena pointed up to the sky and the boys were amazed.  
  
"Wow! So that's what the moon looks like!" They were so intrigued because they were both born far after Piccolo had destroyed it. They started to feel something in their stomachs but it died down after that. "Tenshi, I think it worked, I think your magic worked. I could feel something in my tummy but it went away."  
  
Their tails waved behind them and Serena gasped. "Boys, what color are your tails normally? Aren't they brown?"  
  
"Yeah," Trunks said. He saw his tail and nearly jumped. "Why is it silver?"  
  
"Hey, mine's silver too!"  
  
"I think it's because of the magic I used. It will help to keep you from transforming until after the full moon goes away. I think it will happen every time the moon gets full, it will be silver for a couple of days and then it will return back to normal."  
  
"Cool," was their only reply.   
  
The three of them watched the moon sit in the sky, watching over them. Goku and Vegeta who had been training together for the last several hours were warming down when they felt a tingly feeling in their bodies.   
  
--------------  
  
"Something's not right Kakkarot," Vegeta grumbled. They walked outside of the gravity room and looked around for anything that could be out of the norm.  
  
"I've felt like this before, but it was a long time ago." Goku looked up at the sky and saw the full moon smiling down. He was entranced. It had never looked this gorgeous before and he couldn't tear his eyes away. Luckily for him and Vegeta they didn't have their tails.  
  
Vegeta noticed that his comrade was being silent and followed his stare up to the night sky. "The moon! When did that come back?"  
  
The two grown men looked at each other with the same thought in mind. "The boys!"  
  
They frantically searched for their ki and found them on the other side of the house, near the forest. The fathers took to the air to find their sons.  
  
--------------  
  
"Look at me! I'm a big ape!" Goten said as he growled at Serena while imitating an ape with the big goofy arms. Serena laughed at his antics and Trunks followed suit.   
  
"Gggrrrrrrrrrr!" He said and boosted up to Super Saiyan.  
  
"Aaaaaahhhh!" Gohan yelled as he did the same.   
  
Serena pretended to be scared and started screaming and running away from them as they chased her.  
  
Two figures watched from the sky and didn't know what to do.   
  
"Who's that person in the cloak?"  
  
"I don't know, I can't even sense their ki!"  
  
"It doesn't matter! Just knock the boys out before they change and we'll figure out who that other person is later!" the shorter one yelled and both fired blasts at their sons.   
  
Serena turned around and saw two glowing balls headed for them. The boys stopped to see what she was staring at and realized that they had just been shot at by their fathers.   
  
"Dad, no!"  
  
"Don't shoot!"   
  
"Noooooo!" 'Not again! Must protect,' and Serena grabbed the two boys. 


	11. They Finally Meet

--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
"Look at me! I'm a big ape!" Goten said as he growled at Serena while imitating an ape with the big goofy arms. Serena laughed at his antics and Trunks followed suit.   
  
"Gggrrrrrrrrrr!" He said and boosted up to Super Saiyan.  
  
"Aaaaaahhhh!" Gohan yelled as he did the same.   
  
Serena pretended to be scared and started screaming and running away from them as they chased her.  
  
Two figures watched from the sky and didn't know what to do.   
  
"Who's that person in the cloak?"  
  
"I don't know, I can't even sense their ki!"  
  
"It doesn't matter! Just knock the boys out before they change and we'll figure out who that other person is later!" the shorter one yelled and both fired blasts at their sons.   
  
Serena turned around and saw two glowing balls headed for them. The boys stopped to see what she was staring at and realized that they had just been shot at by their fathers. They immediately returned to normal.  
  
"Dad, no!"  
  
"Don't shoot!"   
  
"Noooooo!" 'Not again! Must protect,' and Serena grabbed the two boys.  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 11: THEY FINALLY MEET  
  
The two men watched as their blasts headed for their sons, praying that they had knocked them unconscious in time but froze when they heard their sons yell for them not to shoot.   
  
"Oh no! Goten!"  
  
"Trunks!"  
  
They wouldn't be able to make it in time to save their sons, who for some reason weren't transforming into giant monkeys. "Kami, please save them." Goku saw the hooded figure grab his son and Trunks before the attack hit them and then all they saw was the bright light that flashed as the attack made contact.  
  
The boys who were safe behind Serena's wings, peeked their eyes open to find they were in a wall of white. They were warm and safe and it felt soft. Then they felt Serena holding on to them tightly, trying her best to protect them from their father's attacks.   
  
"Are you boys okay?" she asked while checking over them for scratches or cuts. She didn't find a single mark.  
  
--------------  
  
As the smoke cleared, Goku and Vegeta expected to see their sons and the third person lying on the ground unconscious but what they saw totally shocked them dumb.   
  
There was a white barrier in place that didn't looked like it had been attacked at all. It started to slowly open to reveal them as a pair of wings. The owner of the wings was glaring at the two assailants who dared to attack her nephew and her dreamer.  
  
The winds started to pick up and her hair and eyes turned dark silver. "How dare you attack these two boys! Suffer!" She held out her palm facing the flying men and yelled, "MOONLIGHT RINGS!"   
  
Rings of light flew from out of nowhere and latched onto the two men's wrists and legs and held them in place. The light from the rings began to crawl up their legs and arms until it covered their entire bodies except for their heads.   
  
Vegeta and Goku laughed when they saw rings of light on their wrists and ankles but stopped laughing when they felt it burning their skin.  
  
"AAAAahhhhhh!"  
  
"What kind of a trick is this?"  
  
The boys stood next to Serena and watched as their father's turned into big white dolls.  
  
"Wait tenshi! That's my dad. Don't hurt him please!"  
  
The men watched and listened as Goten told the woman who they were and they saw her eyes flash from silver to blue and her hair turned back to the mix of blonde and silver.  
  
"Oh no!" She immediately called the light back to her and it left their bodies and marks where it had burned them. They fell to the ground from the lack of energy and were gasping for air as the three walked back.   
  
"Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. I thought you guys were evil and trying to hurt my boys!" Serena put herself between the two men and put her hands on their chests. They couldn't move from the little 'light show' she had just performed and so they lay there helplessly.  
  
She closed her eyes and concentrated as she began to glow silver again. Goku gasped as he felt an unknown power surge through him and Vegeta felt it as well. After her glowing stopped, they both found that they were recharged again and got up to find out who this person was that attacked and then healed them.  
  
Vegeta glared at the woman. 'How can one so small and weak looking be so strong?' he thought to himself. Goku was thinking along a totally different track.  
  
'She's so...beautiful,' he thought as his eyes wandered over her body.  
  
"Who are you and what are you doing here?" Vegeta growled.  
  
Goten was holding on to her hand now for moral support. She felt a little stronger.  
  
"This is my Tenshi!" he said proudly. Her name is Serena and I prayed to Kami for her and she came."  
  
Serena looked down at the little boy with as much love as she could muster and pulled him into a hug.  
  
Vegeta wasn't convinced. "Don't make me ask again, onna. Who sent you here?"  
  
Serena stood proudly and put her fist to her chest. "Hello King Vegeta. It is a pleasure to finally see you again." That threw him off big time.  
  
"King Vegeta? King Vegeta died a long time ago. I am his son, Prince Vegeta." 'What does this woman know?'  
  
"If I'm not mistaken, Vegeta, you are the king now because your father passed away and you have a mate do you not? That would make you king." Vegeta liked this girl. She was a smart one.  
  
"I believe you're right," he smirked. Trunks rolled his eyes. He was going to be hearing about this for a long time. "But that still doesn't explain why you're here, does it?"  
  
Her brother hadn't changed one bit. She walked up to him and put her arms around him. The cocky prince was stiff as she kissed him on the cheek. 'I can't believe she just did that!' He growled and pushed her away from him with a disgusted look on his face.  
  
Serena stumbled back and Goten got into a fighting stance in front of her. "What do you think you're doing woman?!" The prince was screaming at the top of his lungs.   
  
Serena's eyes began to water. 'He doesn't remember at all.'   
  
Goku watched her and felt his heart soften for the poor little angel that was going to get a beating.  
  
"That is no way to speak to royalty you big, over-stuffed jerk!" Everyone's eyes bugged out of their sockets when they heard those words come out of Serena's mouth.   
  
"I'll teach you a lesson..." he growled and picked her up by the throat. His eyes were glowing red and Goku tried to pry his fingers open but couldn't succeed as Vegeta batted him away like a fly.  
  
"Who are you and what are you doing here! You have one chance left or I'll kill you!"  
  
Serena tried to speak but could only manage to make her voice come out in a whisper. "Geta, I can't believe you don't even recognize your little sister."  
  
"You lie! My sister died right after my father! Tell the truth! Now!" He was getting furious and didn't know the little moisture that was gathering in his eyes when she said that.  
  
"Geta, I am telling the truth! (cough cough) Look!" Her eyes traveled to her right shoulder and Vegeta suddenly remembered what to look for. He pulled her cloak away and the shirt and saw the little light butterfly birthmark on her right shoulder, just where he remembered it to be.  
  
Vegeta immediately dropped her with wide eyes. She was gasping for air as he left to go back in the house, leaving her there with the other three.  
  
"What did you say to my dad?" Trunks and Goten lifted an arm each and hovered above the ground to get her on her feet.   
  
"Thank you boys. I'll tell you later."  
  
Goku made his way back to the group and saw the woman standing with the help of the two little boys. As he got nearer, his curiosity got the better of him and he reached a hand out to touch her wing.  
  
"No dad! Don't touch it..." Goten tried to warn his dad but it was too late. Serena didn't see what he was doing, but felt him as he touched the back of her wings.   
  
'Oh no!'  
  
Goku growled in pain as he brought his injured finger to his mouth to suck the blood from it. "I'm so sorry. I didn't know that you wanted to touch them...you're supposed to touch the inside feathers, not the ones on the outside." She walked over to him and grabbed his hand with the hurt finger. She dried it off by blowing on it and brought it to her mouth where she placed a little kiss on it.  
  
Goku watched silently as she kissed his finger and she showed it to him. He couldn't find the cut anywhere. Her eyes were glowing with an unknown light and Goku was drawn in. She truly was an angel. As she took her hand away from his, he could feel a loss and something in him stirred.  
  
She turned to face him once again and spread her wings out. "If you want to feel, you have to feel these feathers," she said as she grabbed his other hand and brought it to her wing. They were indescribably soft as Goku felt the mass of white fluffiness under his fingers. At his height of 6'4", he looked down at her shorter being of 5'6" and smiled.   
  
--------------  
  
"BULMA! WHERE ARE YOU ONNA!"  
  
Bulma rounded the corner from the kitchen into the living room. "What do you want now you big baby?"  
  
"Do you know that woman that is out there proclaiming to be my sister?"  
  
"Yes." She stared at him. He could really be dumb sometimes.  
  
"Who is she and I demand the truth!"  
  
"She's your sister you idiot." Bulma walked back into the kitchen where she was preparing dinner.  
  
"Don't call me an idiot, woman! My sister died a long time ago when I was younger!"  
  
Bulma glared at her husband. "Maybe if you'd talk to her instead of attempting to kill her, she would tell you how and why she came here!" Bulma had seen the whole thing from the door. As soon as she heard Goten and Trunks growling and making Serena laugh, she watched them and watched how the two men tried to attack their sons and how Serena protected them and attacked back.  
  
"What were you thinking when you attacked our son?" Her hands were on her hips and Vegeta understood that body language.  
  
"I THINK I was trying to protect everyone from 2 large monkeys that were going to appear and destroy everything! That's what I think!"  
  
They didn't hear the front door open or 4 people walk in behind them. Vegeta was confused when Bulma ran behind him and latched onto Serena. "Serena are you alright? I saw those two blockheads attack you guys. They didn't hurt you did they?" Serena smiled and assured her that she was fine and so were the boys.  
  
Turning to Goku, she asked, "Why DID you attack your sons?"  
  
Goku looked away as he answered, "When we finished training we felt something funny and noticed that the moon was back and that it was full. These boys haven't seen the moon before and they don't know how to control their other form yet. The only way to keep them from transforming was to knock them unconscious."  
  
"That's horrible!" She glared.  
  
"Well, it's a lot better than having the planet blow up and millions of people killed."  
  
"It doesn't matter. They're used to it anyway!" came a voice from the back.  
  
"What do mean they're used to it Vegeta?"  
  
Goku saw how protective she was of them and thought it was kind of...cute. "When we train and spar, we don't go easy on them. I'm sure if they didn't like it, they wouldn't come back for more. It makes them stronger after every battle. They don't get knocked out anymore unless they're not paying attention like they were tonight."  
  
Bulma had a question in her mind. "Wait, so first of all, how did the moon come back, and second-why haven't the boys transformed yet?"  
  
Goku shrugged and the boys smiled with mirth. "I noticed that the moon didn't exist in this dimension, and it's the only way I can talk to my mother and have my strength increased, so I brought it back."  
  
"But now we have to watch the boys every full moon! I think this is going to cause more trouble than it should. We should just destroy it now."  
  
"No dad! We didn't transform because Serena used magic on our tails, look!" The two little boys lifted their tails to show them off. "Cool huh? They're silver!"  
  
Vegeta's temper was flaring up again. "What have you done to my son's tail?"  
  
"Calm down Geta, I just put a little counter on their tails so that they wouldn't transform when the full moon was out. It will get more and more silver as the moon gets closer to being full and then it will return back to normal after that."  
  
"Hmph," he snorted.   
  
"So, Serena. How about you tell us how and why you came here," Goku asked.  
  
"But why don't we do it over dinner and mind your manners this time!" Bulma added.  
  
--------------  
  
"So you're telling us that you came here to train to fight against some sort of evil that you don't know will even come?"  
  
The blonde nodded her head while bringing the fork full of spaghetti to her mouth.  
  
"And I was wondering if you guys would train me. I have the magic down and am learning more in my night training, but I need the physical training."  
  
Vegeta looked over at her and swallowed the food in his throat. "You will train with the brats until you get strong enough to beat them and then you may train with us. Otherwise, stay out of our way!" He went back to eating his food again. Everyone was wondering how she was going to handle this.  
  
"Thank you Geta." She smiled at him and went back to eating her food.  
  
"So Serena, why do you keep calling Vegeta, Geta?"  
  
"Because that's my sister's nickname for me you third-class idiot."  
  
It was Goku's turn to stare. 'Vegeta's sister? How could she be related to HIM?'  
  
Serena could read the question in his eyes. "A long time ago, when Vegeta's father was alive, he, his mate and my mother were best friends. One day, Vegeta's mom was killed and my mother went over to Vegeta-sei to try to keep the king and his son stable. They ended up falling in love and she became his mate, so Vegeta is my older, half brother. I inherited my mother's looks if you're wondering why we don't look alike, but I inherited my father's temper and his tail."  
  
Everyone sweat dropped. "You have a tail?" She nodded as she concentrated and made it appear for everyone to see. It waved at everyone around the table and then she quickly made it disappear again.   
  
"I just found out about it when I got here about a year ago, or rather a week according to you. I still don't know how it works, but I'll find out."  
  
"Tenshi, won't you turn into a giant monkey too now?"  
  
She looked at Goten, "I don't think so sweetheart. I used to live on the moon, remember? I think since I am both Lunarian and Saiyan, I won't turn into a giant monkey at all."  
  
--------------  
  
After much more questioning, Vegeta finally announced that he believed her.   
  
"I have one more question. What was my nickname for you?"  
  
Serena thought about it and the prince thought that he finally caught her in the act. She panicked at first because she couldn't remember, but she smiled at him.  
  
"You didn't give me a nickname because you thought they were childish and were for weaklings."  
  
Vegeta was impressed. "Alright."  
  
Serena jumped from her chair at the table and ran and gave him another hug. This time he didn't pull away. Of course he was confused because he rarely got hugs and so he just patted her head until she sat back down again. Bulma smiled. Things might actually run normal with her around.  
  
"Get off me onna! I'm not a chair!"   
  
Bulma chuckled. 'Yup.' 


	12. Healing & Cooking

--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
After much more questioning, Vegeta finally announced that he believed her.   
  
"I have one more question. What was my nickname for you?"  
  
Serena thought about it and the prince thought that he finally caught her in the act. She panicked at first because she couldn't remember, but she smiled at him.  
  
"You didn't give me a nickname because you thought they were childish and were for weaklings."  
  
Vegeta was impressed. "Alright."  
  
Serena jumped from her chair at the table and ran and gave him another hug. This time he didn't pull away. Of course he was confused because he rarely got hugs and so he just patted her head until she sat back down again. Bulma smiled. Things might actually run normal with her around.  
  
"Get off me onna! I'm not a chair!"   
  
Bulma chuckled. 'Yup.'  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 12: HEALING & COOKING  
  
Serena spent the next few weeks training with the boys in the forest. They showed her all their tricks and she finally learned how to fly using her ki. She figured it was a lot safer to use ki rather than using something that could shred someone. Her speed increased along with her stamina and strength and she was now capable of blocking the boys one at a time and now they were double teaming her. It was great and she felt alive when she sparred with them.   
  
Whenever their little group would get hungry, instead of going home to get something, Serena would just make it appear with her magic. She wished one night under the full moon that the boys could have some of her smaller powers, like the power to heal, but to do that they would have to be in Super Saiyan mode so they would have enough energy. She also wished that they were able to create meals for themselves, in case they were in danger or away from food too long.   
  
Someone on the moon heard the call of its princess and granted her wishes.   
  
--------------  
  
Mirai Trunks and Gohan went to the future to spend some time together. For the latter half of Gohan's life, Mirai was by his side for all his trials. Since Trunks had no one in his time except his mother, he brought his friend with him to help rebuild the city and keep them company.  
  
"Yeah, so supposedly there is this 'tenshi' according to Goten that lives with Bulma in CC. He told me that he wished for her and she came to help us and dad, but mostly dad. I don't know what he's getting at."  
  
"What does she look like?" Trunks was a bit curious.  
  
"I don't really know. I haven't met her yet, but maybe we can meet her when we get back, eh?"  
  
"Sounds good to me!" Mirai said as he blasted off towards his mom's house. In the last 3 weeks that the boys had been in Mirai's time, they had gotten a lot of the rubble moved away or turned into dust and then blown away. The city no longer looked like a big dump but a little more descent now.  
  
They had started to build shelters around the outskirts of his demolished city and for days on past trips they had made, they would scan the globe looking for a more suitable place to live. This was the best place they could find.  
  
--------------  
  
SM DIMENSION  
  
The girls had been talking about training while Serena was gone so that they wouldn't fall behind in their training. Ami had secretly taken it upon herself to build a room or a training facility where they would be able to use their powers and train without damaging anything.   
  
With Pluto's brain and bank account, the plans had been set in motion. Trista would ask Bulma for any specifics that the Soldier of Mercury wasn't able to come up with herself. This was good because now Trista had something to keep her busy while she was tending the Gates, the scouts would have a training room to keep in shape and everything would be great.  
  
Everyone was writing in their journals just as Serena had asked them. Ami was keeping tabs on the medical world and journals; Raye was keeping the big journal, which included everyone else, her and Serena's families and politics, Mina was keeping track of fashions and entertainment and Lita was noting society and their growth along with the natural resources of the world.  
  
For training sessions, Raye would call everyone to her temple where they learned to meditate and become more familiar with their powers. Everyone was slowly growing spiritually along with physically. They would switch days for physical and mental/spiritual training to keep them in shape for what ever was coming their way.  
  
The enemy had appeared less and less but it didn't keep the scouts from working any less. Soon, the new building where they would live was almost finished. The location for it was in the woods somewhere and it looked like a large log cabin, so it wouldn't attract so many unexpected and unwanted visitors. The training facilities were in the basement of the building to stay hidden from trespassers or wanderers. The kitchen, living room, family room, entertainment room and so forth were on the main level and the bedrooms were on the 3rd floor, far away from the noise of the training room.  
  
How Trista managed to get this building built was beyond any of them. After a while they gave up pestering her about the house and decided just to be grateful.  
  
--------------  
  
DBZ   
  
Things were progressing with Serena's training. She could finally beat both of the boys when they double-teamed her, but she wanted to stay with them just a bit longer so she could train them with her powers.  
  
They learned how to make their own food with the powers she had wished for them to have. Soon, they learned how to turn different natural objects into edible things and that was fun until they started throwing pies and making them turn back into rocks at the last second. That didn't fare too well.   
  
For their practice in the arts of healing, they started on the woodland creatures and made their way to the hospital where Serena wanted to teach them love and caring for others. They would walk into the children's ward and help to brighten up the children. Serena taught Goten and Trunks to talk the other kids and place their hand on them and transfer energy, but just enough to make them a little better than how they were when they first came. They got to the point where they didn't have to power up to Super Saiyan anymore without the loss of too much energy. She was ready to move on.  
  
Another thing that they had learned while they were together was to speak to each other telepathically.  
  
Okay boys, it's time to go now. Serena sent out to them. She heard them reply and waited for them at the entrance of the ICU. The nurses and doctors knew that group of 3 was a special one and welcomed them whenever they wanted to come in. The children were always sad to see them leave but each time but seemed to be slowly progressing for the better each time they visited.  
  
Where to now?   
  
Um, race you two home! Goten yelled and off he flew. Not wanting to back down from a competition, the other two took off after him. With Serena in the rear and with neither boy looking back, as soon as she saw the house, she teleported back and appeared right in front of someone.  
  
Serena hadn't tried to teleport in what seemed like ages. She was now 25 years old, having kept up her training with Trista in the Training Room. Her magic was almost at it's best but she knew she just needed a few more times in there.  
  
The 25 year old who expected to land on grass ended up landing on someone instead. "Oh my gosh! I'm so sorry. Please forgive me...I wasn't looking where I was, uh, teleporting."   
  
Goku stared into the beautiful eyes of the angel that his son had prayed for. "Anytime," he said with the low rumble of his baritone voice. He slipped on a smile, which left the angel blushing before she stuttered and made her way to her feet again.  
  
Serena began to feel a stirring in her, where-she didn't know. Her pulse began to quicken and her eyes couldn't tear away from the beautiful male specimen that was very close to her.  
  
"Hey! How'd you beat us!" a very tired Trunks asked.  
  
"My secret." She said before smirking the Vegeta smirk and headed into the house.  
  
During the meals that the families would share, Serena would stare at Goku and the only person other than her that knew that was Bulma, who had a somewhat 6th sense about those things. Everywhere she went Goku had his eyes on her. Whether it was outside or whether it was in the house somewhere, he always knew where she was. When she wasn't looking at him, he was looking at her. Occasionally, they would catch each other's eyes and Serena would turn quickly to hide the blush that covered her face.  
  
When Serena wasn't sparring, she would watch Vegeta and Goku. She quickly learned their counters and their attacks. Being the quick little thing that she was, she memorized them and practiced them in the Training Room, where she was safe from spectators. She also read out of the Book of Light and learned more about her heritage and the power that she possessed.   
  
'Many things we do not know about the power of the crystal, but Selene tells us that all things are possible.'  
  
Serena learned how the fighters used their ki to form ki blasts and concentrated more on those in her next year of training. She only dared practice in the Training Room where nothing could be damaged. One day she had a brilliant idea. She pulled out her Luna pen and concentrated on the flow of energy the pen used and then tried to do it herself. After a few tries, she got it down.   
  
While in the Training Room, she had a lot of time to think on her own and one of those things was thinking about a mate. She had read about them and the Saiyan Mating Rituals and knew that she wanted to find someone who she could be forever happy with. Most of the time that she spent during the day was with the boys so she rarely heard the two older men conversing.   
  
Serena admired her brother for the man he was. She loved how he was so protective of his family and wondered if anyone would be like that for her. Serena found herself slowly growing fond of Goku. She watched the way he was with Goten and how much he loved him. Serena fell in love with his eyes and his heart and his laugh that could cheer her up whenever she seemed depressed about the friends she had left behind.  
  
Goku had been feeling strange every time she was nearby. He watched the way she was with his son. There was just something about that girl that he couldn't get enough of. The way she smiled and laughed and played with his son gave him ideas and thoughts of what it would be like to have her as his mate. He had been so solemn after Chi Chi had died, which he couldn't understand because he didn't love her in the way a man loves his wife but more in the way of friend to friend. He had to 'grow up' after she had died and had to learn to take care of his sons, which was harder than he thought. Every time he saw Serena play with the two younger boys, his eyes lit up as more thoughts entered his head.   
  
Vegeta noticed that Kakkarot had been getting a little edgier every day. Every time he asked him about it, Goku would just wave his hand and claim it was nothing.  
  
--------------  
  
Goku had been having many strange dreams lately about a girl that he knew on the moon. He was dressed in funny clothes and was underground somewhere. On the walls there were things that were glowing and he was waiting for her. He could see her silhouette but not her face.  
  
It was another day of training and sparring with Vegeta when he suddenly had a flashback. His pupils dilated and all he could see was that same frame again but this time he could see her face. It was Serena! Unfortunately, Goku didn't see Vegeta's attack and it was a big one, like it normally was when they sparred. Goku could have easily deflected it if he was paying attention but to his disadvantage, he wasn't.   
  
Goku doubled over in pain and fell to the floor unconscious. "Goku you idiot! What were you doing?" Vegeta yelled. He saw Trunks' purple hair around the corner. "Brat! Hurry and get a senzu bean from the kitchen!" Trunks ran into the kitchen and looked for a senzu bean for Goku who was lying on the ground.  
  
Goten saw Vegeta bending over his dad waiting for Trunks to come back with the pouch of Senzu beans that they kept in stock. The little boy ran out of the house. "Dad! We don't have anymore!"  
  
"WHAT!?" What do you mean we don't HAVE anymore?!"   
  
Trunks was scared. Goku was bleeding heavily and his body was broken all over the place. That was one of Vegeta's most powerful attacks and the idiot hadn't been watching.   
  
Goten powered up to Super Saiyan and ran to his dad's side. Trunks, power up! He sent the message to his friend. Both boys kneeled down on either side of Goku and placed their hands on him. They concentrated as hard as they could and both began to glow silver. Goten opened his eyes to see that his dad was still bleeding all over the place.   
  
Vegeta stood and watched the two boys and was astonished by what they were trying to do. "Wait, I'll be right back! You stay here with Kakkarot while I go get more beans. Vegeta flew into the other Saiyan's house and searched high and low in every drawer in the kitchen.  
  
Meanwhile, the boys reached out with their minds to Serena.  
  
Serena! Serena can you help us?   
Serena! Where are you?  
  
Serena was sleeping when she heard the cries for help. She shot straight up.  
I'm here boys! What's happening?  
Serena, my dad's dying! Goten cried.   
  
She flew out of her bedroom window and into the sky. Goten, Trunks, where are you two? Scream out loud so I can hear you!  
  
The boys started screaming and Bulma rushed out of the house from the loud racket.  
  
"TENSHI! TENSHI! Save my dad!" cried the little black-haired boy. Tears were pouring down his face at the thought of losing another parent.  
  
"TENSHI! WE'RE OVER HERE!" Both boys yelled over and over again and Serena dove to their sides.  
  
She spoke calmly to them so they wouldn't get more scared than they already were. "Good job boys. Take a rest," she said as she placed her hands over Goku's dying body. He began to cough up blood and opened his eyes to see the winged beauty kneeling over him. Serena began to glow silver again and Goku was being pulled back from the light he was walking towards. Goku, don't you dare leave me, Goku! You come back here right now. Don't leave us! She tried to tell him.   
  
Goku screamed in pain as he was thrown back into consciousness. He screamed as he felt the pain of broken bones in his body and the raw, burnt skin. Vegeta ran outside with one senzu bean in hand, the only one he could find and saw Serena healing him with her powers. Everyone watched as Goku stopped bleeding and the wounds on his body began to close up again thanks to the little angel. He had passed out after waking up, from the immense pain he was in and didn't notice as he was healed all the way.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena woke up in her room. The boys had been sitting quietly on the floor playing cards, waiting for her to wake up. Vegeta had carried Goku into the house and the boys had managed to get Serena up to her room because she had passed out after healing Goku as much as she had.  
  
After she had slept the whole afternoon, they boys walked with her down to the dining room where everyone was eating dinner. Not a word was said throughout the whole meal.  
  
The boys thought it would be fun to talk to each other thru the mental link that they had with one another.   
  
Serena, can you pass me the salt please? Serena picked up the salt that was near her and handed it across the table to Goten who sprinkled some on his meat. Thank you he said.  
  
"You're welcome." She answered. Serena didn't realize that Goten had asked her telepathically so she answered verbally.  
  
"Who's welcome?" Bulma asked  
  
"Goten. He just asked for the salt."   
  
"Oh." Bulma said. "But I didn't hear him ask."  
  
All three just shrugged their shoulders and continued eating.  
  
Goku watched as Serena peacefully ate her 3rd plate of food. He remembered the way she looked at him when she was healing him. 'I must be imagining things. Why would she want some old man who already has two sons?'  
  
Vegeta looked around the table at the people that were sitting there. He suddenly saw something moving behind Goku. "Kakkarot, stay still. There's something moving behind you." Goku looked back down and continued to eat when he unexpectedly felt an enormous pain.  
  
"AAAaaaahhhh!" Goku growled. "Why'd you hit me?" Goku yelled. "I can't believe you have no aim!"   
  
Vegeta's eyes widened in surprise as he saw what he *had* hit. "Kakkarot, when did you get your tail back?"  
  
Serena's head shot up. "Kakkarot?"  
  
Vegeta looked at her. "Yes," he said pointing at Goku. "That idiot over there with the tail!"  
  
"I don't know. I just found out about it when you tried to KILL it!"  
  
'Goku's Kakkarot?' Serena knew she had found her man, but did he remember? She knew that the boys always had problems remembering when it came to the past. She got up and walked to the other side of the table where Goku was cradling his tail in his hands, trying to make it feel better.  
  
"Maybe it came back when I healed him earlier today. Here," she said trying to get it from him. "Let me help." Vegeta saw the look Goku had in his eyes when Serena gently picked up his tail. She placed her lips on it and waited for it to heal, not thinking anything of it. Her mother had always kissed her scrapes and other small injuries, but now Serena could do that and really make them better. After it was healed, she let it go-free to wave in the air and made her way back to her seat to finish her dinner.  
  
Later that night, Goku was hesitant upon approaching her but pushed it aside and went up to Serena and whispered something into her ear.  
  
"Sure, I'm not doing anything right now if you want to go." Goku nodded his head and off they went into the forest, side by side. It was getting dark, but the full moon shone brightly above them, illuminating the path that they were walking on.  
  
"Goku, you wouldn't mind if I stretched my wings a bit would you?"   
  
He smiled that gorgeous smile of his and said, "not at all." Serena smiled back and with a twinkle of light, her wings appeared at her back. She stretched them as hard and as far as she could. It had been days since she had used them and it felt so good to have them out again.  
  
Once they were safe within the wooden sanctuary, Goku decided now would be a good time. "Serena, I've been meaning to get to know you better," he said looking at her. "You spend a lot of time with my son and I barely know who you are." He said in a very soft, gentle tone.  
  
"What would you like to know first?"  
  
"How about your birthday?" There were many questions asked after that and as the night sky grew darker, Serena pulled her cloak around her shoulders tighter. They spent a couple of hours laughing and sharing stories when Goku remembered the question he really wanted to ask her.  
  
"How about why my son started calling you tenshi?" Serena froze and thought back to the day that she had first met that little boy. Her eyes began to water and tears fell from her eyes as she played that scene over and over in her mind before she felt something on her face other than her tears.  
  
Goku saw his crying angel and reached out to wipe them away. 'Since when did she become my angel?' he thought. His mind answered, 'since the day you first met her!' Serena woke out of whatever reverie she seemed to be in. She sniffed them back and wiped the rest of the tears away and looked into his smiling eyes.   
  
"The day I was supposed to meet you, Vegeta had blown up the Gravity machine and you and Gohan ran out to check up on him so that Bulma wouldn't get mad in front of Goten. I had just come back from training and came downstairs but I hadn't hid my wings because I don't hide them when I train. Well, Bulma and Goten saw me with my wings and then suddenly Goten started saying that I was his tenshi." She sniffed back more tears that had been coming. "I tried to tell him that I wasn't a tenshi, but he kept insisting and looking at me with those desperate eyes of his. He said that after Chi Chi died, he had prayed and prayed for a tenshi to come...because..." she started hiccupping.  
  
"Because of what?" Serena couldn't look at him, wondering what he was going to think of her once she told him this. He lifted her chin so she could look into his eyes. "Because of what?"  
  
'Please don't laugh at me.' She thought.   
  
'I won't.' Serena's eyes widened a little hoping that she really didn't hear his voice in her head.  
  
"He said that he had prayed to Kami to send me to help you because you were lonely." Serena walked away from his gaze and sat down on a rock and made her wings disappear. "Those eyes. I couldn't say no. They were begging me to be his tenshi. He said, "Mom was right! Kami does answer prayers and that I was sent to help you because you were sad." She hugged her knees to her chest and quietly sobbed.   
  
Goku was a little more than shocked to hear what his son had done. He could hear her thru her tears. "He even pulled out a drawing that looked exactly like me. He said that Kami told him what I looked like."  
  
Goku walked up and picked up the crying girl. He sat on the grass against the boulder and held her in his lap. 'What am I doing?' he would ask himself but he knew that she needed to be held.  
  
"Thank you."  
  
"Thank you for what?" she had stopped crying by this point and was just sniffling again.  
  
"Thank you for saving my life today and my tail, literally!" Serena laughed at the little joke he had made. "You truly are my guardian tenshi." She blushed again and was thankful for the darkness of the night for hiding it from view.  
  
Serena noticed a third something wrapping around her. It was a brown tail! She began to pet it and was off daydreaming again, not knowing what kind of effect that had on a Saiyan. Goku didn't know either because this was his first time having one since he could remember. She twirled it around in her hand and ruffled the fur and could hear and feel him starting to purr and his arms got tighter around her. His face went into the crook of her neck and began to nuzzle it. When her senses woke back up, she realized what was going on and pulled away from him.  
  
"Huh?" Goku shook his head. "What's going on?"  
  
Serena was breathing hard from the excitement she had been feeling when he was holding her that close and doing the things he was doing with his hands and tail.  
  
"I don't know. One minute I was petting your tail and the next minute..."  
  
* FLASHBACK *  
  
"A Saiyan's tail is a very sensitive appendage. Not only can a tail bring more strength, but it can bring other pains and pleasures as well..."  
  
* END FLASHBACK *  
  
Serena didn't know where she had heard or read that, but when she remembered and ended up trying to hide yet another blush from his heated gaze.  
  
"Um, maybe we should be heading back now. I told Goten and Trunks I would teach them a new trick before bed."  
  
"Yeah, maybe we should."  
  
Serena walked backwards away from him and brought her wings back. As they unfolded, they pushed her cloak back and spread out. Serena lifted into the air with Goku following and they headed back home in silence. 


	13. More Training & New Tricks

Sorry for the long wait :) I had 2 tests this week to concentrate on. 1, which I failed, and the second, which I felt I did a good job on so I basically pretty much failed that one too. That's what normally happens when I feel good about a test. I hope you enjoy this chapter.  
  
--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
Serena noticed a third something wrapping around her. It was a brown tail! She began to pet it and was off daydreaming again, not knowing what kind of effect that had on a Saiyan. Goku didn't know either because this was his first time having one since he could remember. She twirled it around in her hand and ruffled the fur and could hear and feel him starting to purr and his arms got tighter around her. His face went into the crook of her neck and began to nuzzle it. When her senses woke back up, she realized what was going on and pulled away from him.  
  
"Huh?" Goku shook his head. "What's going on?"  
  
Serena was breathing hard from the excitement she had been feeling when he was holding her that close and doing the things he was doing with his hands and tail.  
  
"I don't know. One minute I was petting your tail and the next minute..."  
  
* FLASHBACK *  
  
"A Saiyan's tail is a very sensitive appendage. Not only can a tail bring more strength, but it can bring other pains and pleasures as well..."  
  
* END FLASHBACK *  
  
Serena didn't know where she had heard or read that, but when she remembered and ended up trying to hide yet another blush from his heated gaze.  
  
"Um, maybe we should be heading back now. I told Goten and Trunks I would teach them a new trick before bed."  
  
"Yeah, maybe we should."  
  
Serena walked backwards away from him and brought her wings back. As they unfolded, they pushed her cloak back and spread out. Serena lifted into the air with Goku following and they headed back home in silence.  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 13: MORE TRAINING & NEW TRICKS  
  
Boys! she called. She called again a second time but this time got an answer.  
  
Yes, Tenshi?   
  
I'm on my way home. Come out and I'll show you that new trick.  
  
The boys raced out of the house and waited for Serena to land. She came down and watched as Goku flew to his house. Turning back to the boys, she asked, "Are you guys ready?"  
  
They nodded their heads vigorously and headed out to the open field. "Okay, power up to SS1 for this one." They immediately obeyed and waited for their next command. "Here, catch." Each boy caught a glowing globe and waited, but nothing happened. They looked at the ball in their hands and suddenly there was a loud bang and a bright flash that knocked them onto their backs on the dirt ground.  
  
Goten was the first to recover. "Whoa! That was way cool!" It took them about a half hour to learn the trick. They could concentrate as much power and force into the little ball without it growing an inch from the size of the one Serena had showed them. It was meant to fit in the hand for easy tossing.  
  
"Boys, please don't use this in the house. Just one of these will cause major destruction and I don't want your mom getting mad at me." Their eyes got wide and they promised that they wouldn't. They never liked even thinking about making their Tenshi sad. They loved her far too much to do anything against her wishes.  
  
They could use these balls to suck energy from the person holding it, they could use it to make things explode, or to even paralyze someone for a short time while others unleashed their attack. They silently agreed that they would have to use it on Mirai and Gohan sometime when they came back.  
  
--------------  
  
Goku knew there was something he was supposed to remember, but he couldn't. After he had been hit by Vegeta's attack, the memory that had just surfaced was buried again in the furthest corner of his mind. He still felt the strong attraction to Serena but was doing his best to stay away from her. The looks and threats Vegeta had been giving him kept him away from her because he didn't want to cause any unnecessary problems.  
  
Vegeta had been spending more time with his sister and he told her about how he was stuck with Frieza for some point in time and how he had been destroyed. Serena laughed and told him about her stories from being a Senshi in her dimension. He laughed at her when she told him about how short the skirts were and when he asked how they were supposed to fight with barely any clothes on she turned red and replied, "Maybe it was supposed to be a distraction?" He laughed harder at her, something he rarely did.  
  
Bulma sneaked a peek at the siblings and smiled. She loved how Vegeta was starting to warm up a little. She also noticed how protective he was of her. Whenever Goku came around he always growled at him and it resulted in Goku getting mad and turning to head the other direction. The poor guy didn't know what was going on with Vegeta or himself for that matter. Serena was oblivious to what was going on but started picking up on a few things. Bulma decided that she really needed to have a talk with that girl.  
  
"Serena, can you come into the lab please?" Bulma called over the speakerphone.   
  
"I'll be there in a sec!" she replied and started walking down the way. She placed her pointer finger to the pad again and the door opened for her. Bulma was sitting on her stool at the workbench, messing with another one of her destroyed robots.  
  
"How can I help you?" Serena looked around but didn't see anything that needed fixing.   
  
"Serena," Bulma started, "I want to talk with you about something."  
  
"Okay," Serena said and sat down across from Bulma.  
  
"Have you noticed anything strange going on lately?"  
  
"Strange?"  
  
"Yes, strange." Serena thought long and hard before admitting that she had sensed that Vegeta was being a little protective of her whenever another guy came near her, especially Goku.  
  
"Let me tell you why. Vegeta had explained this to me a very long time ago and I thought it would help if you knew." Bulma explained what little she knew about the "change" that Saiyans went through and how Vegeta would be protective of her until she was ready to mate. "Now that Goku has his tail back, he will begin to go through the change. He hasn't been through it before and won't understand what's going on. You have a tail right?" She nodded her head and made it appear.  
  
"I think since you've had your tail longer than he has, you should start going through the "change" first.  
  
Bulma explained what Vegeta had told her once, how it was like going through puberty again. Serena's face fell. "What's the matter dear?"  
  
"I have to go through that again?" She dropped her head into her folded arms on the workbench and sighed.  
  
"Oh, it wasn't all that bad was it?" Serena's head shot up.  
  
"It was horrible. I was so over emotional, I cried over every little thing...you have no idea. I don't EVER want to go thru that again! I'd rather face Beryl by myself!"  
  
Bulma chuckled. "I'm sorry dear. Maybe you should read that book. It might be of some help." Serena agreed and sat down and read while Bulma finished repairing the broken bot.   
  
--------------  
  
2 people had just returned from a very long trip and walked up to CC. They knocked on the door and waited patiently for someone to answer it. Sam had announced to the two women that someone was at the door and Serena offered to go and answer it. "It's okay, I need a break from reading."  
  
She was dressed in a pair of shorts and a tank top with her hair pulled up in a single ponytail. "Hi, how can I help you?"  
  
"Hi. Is Bulma around?" the short one answered.   
  
"Yes, hold on please." Serena turned her head to the right and asked Sam to tell Bulma she had guests.  
  
"Alright, I'll be right out," the voice responded. Serena invited them to come in and sit in the living room until Bulma came.  
  
"I'm sorry I forgot to introduce myself. I am Serena." She lightly bowed and the two men introduced themselves as Krillin and Yamcha, who Serena was thinking was rather cute.  
  
Bulma walked out of the room. "Hey guys! It's so great to see you! How was your trip?"  
  
They went on to tell how their trip to America was and how much fun they had there. Serena sat and quietly listened and caught Yamcha staring at her every once in a while, which caused her to blush. She couldn't figure out why in the world she was blushing so much in this world. She was never like this back home, always flirting with her friends just for fun. Maybe it was because the guys here were much better to look at. She blushed again.  
  
After another hour or so, they left to go and find Goku and maybe train a little while. Serena in the meantime had gone off to check on the boys. Bulma was so impressed on how much they had been behaving since Serena had been here. Tonight, at the dinner table, Vegeta and Goku had agreed to let Serena take the boys into the Training Room with her tonight while she trained. Vegeta had told his sister that her training room was a duplicate of the Room of Spirit and Time that was up on Kami's lookout. Krillin and Yamcha were surprised that the little twig of a girl was training with Goten and Trunks, but figured since Vegeta said it was okay, she must be a pretty good fighter.  
  
--------------  
  
About two hours after dinner, the little group of 3 took off again, but this time up to the Training Room for another year in a day. She was at the point where the boys had to jump to Super Saiyan to fight against her and last. It seemed like her training had started all over again with having the boys so much stronger than her again. She fought to keep up and she did.   
  
While the boys were with her, she tried out some of Goku and Vegeta's attacks on them and they stood their ground, but she quickly over took them. Since they had time to spare in this room, they let themselves heal naturally so they could be stronger the next day. Serena had actually boosted the time in there to two years instead of just one, so the boys would be going home 14 years old.  
  
Serena taught them how to cook while they were there. She wanted to spend some times teaching them domestic things, which she knew would come in handy. She would have them show off their newfound skills once they got home.   
  
A couple of times at night the boys would catch Serena typing on a computer. When they asked her what it was for, she explained how she was keeping a journal of the things that were going on. Serena told them about her friends back home and was able to transfer some of her memories into 2-d pictures for the boys to see.   
  
The boys had grown especially close to Serena, having had to spend so much time with her in training. They loved being around her and they loved how she didn't criticize them all the time for the little mistakes they made or even some of the jokes they played on each other. Goten and Trunks told Serena about Mirai and Gohan and all the cool stories that Mirai would tell them.  
  
Pluto had come in and taught or instructed Serena on how to travel through time. While the boy were sleeping, Trista would have Serena travel home in random places and back again, instructing her on how to do it.  
  
When the boys woke up one morning, they didn't see Serena anywhere in the house so they went outside to try to find her. What they saw amazed them. Serena was standing in the middle of the white space with her hands up in the air.  
  
"THUNDER FIRE DRAGON!" A bolt of lightning flashed in the darkness that had suddenly appeared out of nowhere and started to take shape in the sky. It had a long tail and looked oddly familiar.  
  
"She knows how to call a dragon too!" Goten whispered.  
  
A dragon formed itself out of the bolt of lightning and flew across the sky with flames coming out of its tail and nose. Its eyebrows were flames as well with claws that were a deep red. Fiery wings came out of the creature's back, which left trails of smoke in the sky. After flying around for a minute, Serena started to lower her hands and the dragon came and landed right in front of her. The boys were afraid that it was going to try to eat her but it didn't. She reached her hand forward and petted the larger-than-a-house lizard and left the boys staring with mouths wide open.  
  
Serena had taught the boys how to teleport with the same light they used to heal people with and to make food with. After the two years of training that they had gone through, Serena was almost at the edge of transforming, yet she couldn't. She was missing something, a key element that she needed but didn't know how to find it.  
  
The boys had learned how to counter magic attacks. They had to or else they would have been fried from Serena's attacks. She had used the magic against because of a thought in the back of her mind. It warned her that they might need to know it for later. Their endurance was heightened by Serena making the boys stay in their SS1 mode the whole time they were in there. The two years was almost up.  
  
--------------  
  
Goku found himself at home alone. That meant lots of thinking time. The feelings that he had for the little angel had been growing stronger and stronger every day. He had never felt like this before and so he didn't understand what it was. Goku felt that same burning as before, but he quickly tossed it aside, mistaking it for hunger and went in search of food.  
  
The grounds of CC had been unnaturally quiet the next day except for the banging that was coming from the gravity machine. Goku needed to spar to burn off a little extra steam so him and Vegeta were sparring at 400g's. "You better not lose concentration this time around Kakkarot cause my sister's not here to heal you and I have no more senzu beans!" Vegeta warned.  
  
"I can't even remember what I was daydreaming about last time." Goku thought it had something to do with Serena but couldn't remember for sure. They kept training and Goku didn't dare let his mind wander when he was sparring with the person who was equal to him in strength.  
  
--------------  
  
After a quiet day and without Serena's presence, Bulma was getting a little antsy. She was sure that after Serena's training this time, she would need a new wardrobe because she would have grown out of her old clothes by now and that got her excited again.   
  
Goku, Vegeta and Bulma were sitting at the dinner table in silence. "Onna, when are the brats coming back?"  
  
Bulma was the one with the smirk on her face this time. "Why? Do you miss them?"  
  
He glared lovingly at his mate. "No, Kakkarot just won't stop whining." Goku made no remark to the prince's comment and continued eating his food. He stopped mid shovel and his head popped up.  
  
"What is it Goku?" A smile spread across his face as he felt the familiar ki of his son. Goten and Trunks walked into the dining room and saw their parents eating.  
  
"Mom!" Trunks ran to his mom and gave her a big hug. Bulma was shocked to say the least, her son had never hugged her like this before. Tears were threatening to fall from her eyes.  
  
"DAD!" Goten ran to his dad and jumped on his back.   
  
"Goten!" Goku was laughing and gently squeezed his son back. Goten and Trunks had gotten much bigger since the last time they had seen them and they were both in SS1 form but had low energy signatures. He was impressed. He remembered how he did the same thing for himself and Gohan when they were preparing to fight Cell.   
  
"Trunks, where's your aunt?" Vegeta waited for his son to answer but he didn't.  
  
"Um...my aunt?"   
  
"He's talking about Serena, dear."   
  
"Oh. She said she'd be here in a little bit. We left before she did." Trunks and Goten headed into the kitchen to get something to eat. They didn't eat before they had left the Training Room so their appetites were quite large.   
  
"You guys look a lot bigger than last time I saw you." Vegeta and Bulma also noticed that they had grown quite a bit.  
  
Trunks looked at his mom and said, "We've been in there for 2 years."  
  
Bulma almost cried again, "2 years! Oh my babies! I've missed 2 years of your life!" She squeezed Goten and Trunks to her chest, making the boys turn purple from lack of oxygen.   
  
"Did you guys learn anything new?"   
  
Goten nodded at his dad and turned his attention back to his food.  
  
"What's the matter boy? Cat got your tongue?" came Vegeta's voice.  
  
Trunks swallowed his food. "No father, Serena just told us that we couldn't tell you what kind of training we had."  
  
"WHAT? You'll tell me what I want to know or else..."  
  
"Or else what Vegeta?" Everyone turned to see Serena walking into the dining room.  
  
'Something's different about her,' her brother thought to himself. "Nothing onna."  
  
Serena smiled at everyone and took her place Between Vegeta and Trunks. It was a large round table where everyone had their 'places'. The order was Bulma, Vegeta, Serena, Trunks, Mirai, Gohan (when they were there), and Goten.   
  
--------------  
  
Serena frequently went into the place in the woods where she had gone to restore the moon. This was her little haven, her quiet spot where she would come to meditate or think or to even find answers sometimes. As she sat on the boulder that was in the clearing, she wrapped her green cloak around her small frame.   
  
Tonight, thoughts about Goku had brought her here. She really liked him and didn't like waiting for him to make the first move because he was really slow. Wicked things entered her mind about how she could 'try' to get him to like her. She was 27 now and had safely gone through the change while training with the boys for the last two years. When Serena read the book about 'The Change', which it was called, she found out that there was a scent and the different ways to make it stronger to attract the opposite sex.   
  
She had tried it out once and the boys had claimed that they could smell chocolate and strawberries. The affects of Serena's scent weren't the same for Trunks as it was for Goten because Serena was family. He became more protective of her. For several days it caused Goten and Trunks to fight a lot but neither boy understood why. It took Serena almost a week to realize this and after she read about it in the Saiyan book, she immediately came up with a counter for the smell and gave it to the boys in the form of magic.   
  
'Hmm, now what to do about Goku...' Serena knew that he wouldn't be able to resist her scent for very long but she had a great time thinking up ways to drive him crazy. She wouldn't normally think like this, but her body clock was telling her that it was beyond the normal mating time and her Saiyan instincts were becoming more and more dominant.  
  
Serena stood up and with a mischievous grin on her face and with a twinkle in her eyes she spread her wings and flew back to her home. 


	14. Meeting the Time Travelers

I'm sorry that this is a short chapter, but I thought it would be best for me to end it here, seeing as how I'm going to have quite the busy day in school tomorrow and I haven't started on my homework yet AND it's 1:20am :) Have fun reading!  
  
Echo Hunter  
  
--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
'Hmm, now what to do about Goku...' Serena knew that he wouldn't be able to resist her scent for very long but she had a great time thinking up ways to drive him crazy. She wouldn't normally think like this, but her body clock was telling her that it was beyond the normal mating time and her Saiyan instincts were becoming more and more dominant.  
  
Serena stood up and with a mischievous grin on her face and with a twinkle in her eyes she spread her wings and flew back to her home.   
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 14: Meeting the Time Travelers   
  
The sun rose and shone its rays through the French doors the next morning, warming the slumbering angel. She stretched as the light touched her eyes. It had been a long time since she had slept in her room. Serena rolled out of bed and onto the floor in a sorry attempt to get out of bed. She kept the lights in her room off since it was bathed in natural sunlight and headed for the bathroom. Once she safely made it in she hopped into the bathtub and took a nice, relaxing hour-long bath. As she rested, the grime of training and sparring melted away as her body was enveloped in warm water and bubbles and her mind drifted to a different time and dimension.  
  
--------------  
  
"Serena!" Bulma was surprised to see her sister-in-law awake. She would normally still be in bed.  
  
"Hi Bulma!" Serena beamed. It had been two years since she had seen her friend.  
  
"I have this great idea! I've been feeling down in the dumps lately since the house has been so quiet with the boys behaving and all, and I figured that since you're a couple years older, you've probably grown out of your other clothes so I think we should go shopping today!" Serena laughed, amazed at how much one person could say with no breath.  
  
"Bulma, I think that would be a great idea!" Serena changed her clothes right in front of Bulma, a trick that she had been working on while training. She finally learned how the disguise pen worked and could transform without it. This was another trick that she taught the boys. Bulma and Serena spent all day at the mall and bought many new things. Both were sure glad that Serena had her space pocket or they would have never made it out of there alive.  
  
--------------  
  
Mirai and Gohan decided it was time to head home to Gohan's time. They had cleared out the city and that was quite a task in itself. They had already been there a month and decided it was time for a break.  
  
When they arrived home, no one was there to greet them. They searched for familiar ki signatures and found their fathers in the gravity room on the other side of the house and Goten and Trunks were in the forest. Both of their ki signatures were high so they figured they were training too. The two young men walked into the house to find it empty.  
  
"Mom! Mom are you home?" Trunks called out but no one answered.  
  
"Hello Mirai. Your mother is shopping right now. She said not expect her home until later tonight."  
  
"Thanks Sam." They walked into the kitchen and made themselves something to eat. After they filled themselves, they walked back out of the house.   
  
"I want to spar, but not with you. I've been with you way too long," Mirai said to his best friend.  
  
"I know what you mean. Let's go find Goten and Trunks."   
  
Goten and Trunks were playing around with their new powers until they felt familiar ki's coming at them.  
  
"Quick, hide your powers!" Both boys masked their ki's with the little bit of light that Serena had given them.   
  
Mirai and Gohan were so close to the boys when all of a sudden they couldn't *feel* them anymore. "Where'd they go?" Mirai shrugged his shoulders and they dipped into the forest where they felt the little one's ki's last. When they landed, they couldn't find Goten or Trunks anywhere.  
  
"Where'd they go?" Gohan was taking one trail and Mirai took another. Goten and Trunks were in the high branches of a tree, watching silently as the two other boys were looking for them.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena could feel the boys using their 'light' as she called it to block their ki from something.   
  
What are you boys up to? Serena's voice startled them. Gohan looked up to the sky because he thought he had heard someone gasp. 'Must be my ears,' he thought and kept walking.  
  
The two boys snickered mentally. Oh nothing, we're playing hide and go seek. Mirai and Gohan are trying to look for us so they can spar. Goten answered.  
  
Serena smiled and told them, Just stay out of trouble and don't make a huge mess!   
  
We won't both voices answered and disappeared. Serena just shook her head.  
  
--------------  
  
"Where are those two?" Mirai was getting a little frustrated and then he felt their ki signatures. They were in the place they had just come from. "How?" Gohan just shook his head and started flying back.   
  
Goten and Trunks hid their ki as soon as they felt them getting too close and hid in a different spot. With another failed attempt at finding his younger self and his best friend's little brother, he decided to go home. He turned around and right as he was about to lift into the sky, he heard a voice call out.  
  
"Catch!" Mirai and Gohan caught the balls before they hit the ground and stared at them for a good minute. The light slowly died out and the balls disappeared before they thought to move.   
  
Goten and Trunks ran out from behind the rock where they were hiding. Their hiding spot was 15 feet away from the two older boys and luckily they hadn't been found. "Ha ha! Can't catch us!" the two boys chided and quickly flew off in the direction of home.  
  
"You better fly fast!" Gohan yelled as he leapt into the sky, only to fall back down to the ground again. Mirai laughed at him until he found out that he couldn't even move. "Hey! What's going on!"  
  
Goten turned to Trunks while they were *slowly* making their way home. "What moon ball did you use on Mirai?"  
  
--------------  
  
BACK IN THE FOREST...  
  
"What do you mean you can't move?" Gohan was now laughing at his paralyzed friend.   
  
"I mean I CAN'T MOVE! WHAT DID THOSE BOYS DO?!" Mirai was turning bright red, seeing as how that was the only thing he could do.  
  
Gohan had enough energy to walk over to his friend and thought that flying was the only thing he couldn't do. His idea was to just drag Mirai home, but when he tipped Mirai back, they both fell because Gohan wasn't strong enough to lift anything but himself. "Sorry," Gohan said before giving up and laying next to his friend.  
  
Gohan and Mirai were getting more and more peeved at the two younger half-breeds as the hours passed. Slowly Gohan regained his strength but not enough to carry Mirai back home. Mirai had an idea. He calmed himself down and concentrated on the ki flowing through his body. When he opened his eyes again, he was in the air, still stiff as a board however. Gohan climbed onto his back when he landed again and they awkwardly made their way home.  
  
--------------  
  
It was dark by the time the two women made it home from the mall. Their feet were throbbing from all the walking they had done that day. They had endured 9 hours of shopping and when they walked into the house, their only thoughts were to sit down. When they stepped through the front door they headed straight for the couch. Serena and Bulma could hear the two younger boys laughing in another room and called them into the living room.   
  
"What's so funny?" Bulma asked. The two boys looked at each other and gave the blue-haired lady a gigantic smile.  
  
"Nothing mom."  
"Nothing Aunt Bulma."  
  
Serena could hear their thoughts clearly in her own head as she started chuckling. "So, did you guys have fun playing with Gohan and Mirai?"  
  
The boys looked at Serena with shock evident on their faces. "Umm," they both mumbled.  
  
"It's okay boys. Just stay right here and I'll fix everything." Once again, not wanting to disobey their tenshi whom they loved very much, they sat next to her. Also because they knew that the other two wouldn't try to get them while she was there.  
  
A few minutes later there was a thud at the door. Muffled voices could be heard as the boys quieted down. They hung onto Serena for protection against the older boys. Bulma tried to think of what the boys could have possibly done this time to make the others upset at them. There was another thud as the thick door slid open to let in two very exhausted saiyans. Mirai was still frozen with his hand cupped in front of him, the same position he was in when he caught that moon ball that Trunks threw. He hovered in a few inches off of the floor and landed in front of the 4 people on the couches. Mirai's face was able to move now and anyone could clearly see how pissed he was.   
  
"TRUNKS! I swear whatever you did to me, as soon as it wears off, I'm going to eat you in your sleep!" He landed and Gohan slid off his back and stood next to Trunks looking perfectly normal.   
  
"What's wrong with you, Gohan?" Bulma asked. She figured out that her future son was paralyzed but couldn't figure out what was wrong with the other boy.  
  
"I don't know. I couldn't fly or drag Mirai home. I think that little brat of a brother drained my energy, but how?"  
  
After turning their attention away from Bulma and towards the boys, they saw Serena and their faces returned to normal.   
  
Mirai was the first to apologize. "I'm sorry miss. We're not usually like this. It just so happened that those two little miscreants that you're sheltering did something to us." Mirai glared at his younger self.  
  
"You must be Mirai," she said "and you must be Gohan. It's a pleasure to meet you finally."  
  
Gohan just stared at the beauty that his brother and Trunks were holding on to. "Yes ma'am."  
  
"Gohan! This is my tenshi! Her name is Serena." Serena smiled and hugged the little boys closer to her.   
  
"I'm sorry for what they did to you. I just taught them that and they've been waiting for you to come home so they could test it out." She started to laugh again and soon everyone but Gohan and Mirai joined in.  
  
"I can't believe you! I don't even know you and you were in on this too. What is this world coming to?" Trunks as asking his mother with his eyes who this stranger was to do such things to them.  
  
"Trunks, this is your Aunt Serena." If Trunks could have fallen to the floor, he would have. His face fell instead.  
  
Serena stood up and headed towards the two boys. "Here, let me help." She placed a hand on both of their shoulders and sent a little of her energy to them. "There, all better."  
  
Mirai could finally move his arms again and evil thoughts about torturing his little self took over his mind. Gohan started hovering just to make sure and suddenly had the same idea as Mirai. They lunged forward to attack the two boys when they suddenly disappeared. Mirai and Gohan fell into the couch head first, knocking it over. Luckily, nothing else was around to be broken. They sat up and rubbed their heads and saw that Goten and Trunks were right behind Serena looking over her shoulders.   
  
"How'd they do that?" Gohan rubbed the sore spot on his head.  
  
"We've been training with Aunt Serena! We know all sorts of tricks now!"  
  
"Yeah, you two better watch out!" Gohan stuck his tongue out before Serena asked them to settle down.  
  
  
Tonight was a full moon again, which meant that the boys' tails were silver. Serena walked out into the moonlight with her wings spread out away from her body. She had figured out how to make all of her feathers soft and how to make them hard again for battle. It was nice to not have to worry about cutting people now. Her knee-length hair was a beautiful silver now, catching the rays of moonlight as it lightly swayed in the wind.  
  
Serena could feel a familiar ki coming towards her so she took off into the sky, gliding on the warm wind currents. The person was still following her and she smiled. She stopped over her "spot" in the forest and slowly descended. The angel waited for the other man to appear above her but she felt him land a little ways away behind the cover of trees.  
  
"Its okay to come out. You don't have to hide from me." Gohan slowly walked out from behind the grand oak.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Hi Gohan." Serena waved him over to her and he came. "Can I help you with something?"  
  
Gohan turned his head away before talking again. "I wanted to ask you a few questions..." he started off.   
  
'This boy's a lot like his father.' "Go ahead. Ask away." She answered all of his questions with a smile and this time she told him the story of how she became 'Goten's' Tenshi without tears. She was proud of herself. Serena told Gohan how her and his father were lovers in another life and how she had finally found him. There was a slight difficulty though. "He's been ignoring me lately and I don't know what it is."  
  
Gohan tried to explain his father to Serena and did a fairly good job.  
  
"So I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me get your father to come to his senses."  
  
Gohan was always looking for an adventure and he was going to find some if it had anything to do with his dad. And then he saw the look of a predator in her eyes. "Sure."  
  
"Thank you so much! But first I'm going to have to make you immune to my scent..."  
  
--------------  
  
HA! THAT'S WHAT YOU GET FOR NOT REVIEWING! Review this and I'll be sure to send out the next chapter :) 


	15. Hatching the Plan

-------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
Gohan turned his head away before talking again. "I wanted to ask you a few questions..." he started off.   
  
'This boy's a lot like his father.' "Go ahead. Ask away." She answered all of his questions with a smile and this time she told him the story of how she became 'Goten's' Tenshi without tears. She was proud of herself. Serena told Gohan how her and his father were lovers in another life and how she had finally found him. There was a slight difficulty though. "He's been ignoring me lately and I don't know what it is."  
  
Gohan tried to explain his father to Serena and did a fairly good job.  
  
"So I was wondering if you'd be willing to help me get your father to come to his senses."  
  
Gohan was always looking for an adventure and he was going to find some if it had anything to do with his dad. And then he saw the look of a predator in her eyes. "Sure."  
  
"Thank you so much! But first I'm going to have to make you immune to my scent..."  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 15: HATCHING THE PLAN  
  
  
  
SM DIMENSION  
  
The Scouts had been training for over a year now. Their powers had increased to amazing levels. Raye was much more able to control and manipulate heat and fire, Lita had control over the elements and so on. Today was Serena's birthday and they had decided to take a day off to wrap her presents and things. Pluto had come and brought more binders of her letters to her friends along with little trinkets that she had picked up a the stores where she went shopping or from the mall.  
  
Mina and Darien were definitely together now. Serena had explained to each one of the scouts about what had happened in the Silver Millennium so they wouldn't get suspicious about the reasons they got together or the timing either.  
  
"How's Serena doing, Trista?" Mina had been worrying about her cousin and best friend. Darien was right next to her, holding her hand in comfort.   
  
"The princess is doing well, Mina. Her training is coming along rather nicely." Trista didn't speak very much about Serena's training. She knew that Serena would want to show her friends what she was capable of.  
  
Trista walked up to the living room where she saw everyone wrapping presents for their friend and smiled.   
  
"Hey Trista! How's it going?"  
  
"Hello Lita! Everything is going well, thank you. Here you are," Trista handed Lita her binder of letters from Serena and took the present that Lita had finished and put it in her space pocket.  
  
Everyone else began to filter into the living room to hear the latest update on their long lost friend. They asked Pluto countless numbers of questions about who she was staying with and if she had a boyfriend yet. Trista had to hold in several laughs as the other girls bubbled over what she did tell them.  
  
Ami was flipping through her binder and noticed that there weren't as many letters in here as there was in the group binder. The group binder had hundreds of letters. She noticed they were divided into sections but there were 8 sections and both had between 200 and 300 entries from her guesstimate.   
  
"Trista. Why are there so many letters in the group binder? Did Serena just get really bored one day?"  
  
'Hmm,' Trista was thinking about how to answer this. "As part of the Princess' training, there is a room that she trains in that allows her to spend one year in it with only a day passing in our world."  
  
Mina and Lita were trying to comprehend what the wise Senshi was saying, but were having difficulties and Trista saw and tried to explain it easier.   
  
"It is called the Room of Spirit and Time. I think that if you imagine it as another dimension, you'll be able to understand how it works easier. 1 year in that room is equal to 1 day on earth. She did most of her training in there, not wanting to waste much time."  
  
"Ah."  
  
Raye was confused about something. "So how old is she now if she's been doing most of her training in there?"  
  
Trista wondered how they were going to handle her being 9 years older than them.  
  
"It doesn't matter now. Age, to Lunarians, is irrelevant after they turn 21. They stop changing and hold that form forever."  
  
"So if you're not going to tell us how old she is, will you tell us how many days she's spent in that "room"?" Raye was very persistent when it came to getting things that she wanted and in this case, it was her friend's age. 'How much older is she than us?'  
  
"She has trained in there for eight days total."  
  
"Huh?" Everyone face-vaulted.   
  
"She's 26? She's 8 years older than us?" Mina squeaked. "How'd she get so old?"  
  
"No, to answer you first question and I already told you the answer to your second."  
  
"But I thought..."  
  
Pluto just shook her head. 'How do I get myself into these kinds of situations?' "One of the days she arranged to be worth 2 years instead of one. She should be 27 right now."  
  
"Wait a minute! How are we supposed to protect her if we're so much younger and weaker than her?!" Trista was hoping that one of them would ask that. Lita was visibly shaking. There was some kind of danger coming and yet none of them could even come close to protecting their princess and friend.  
  
"There is a way that you can become stronger if protecting her is what you wish to do. I will allow you to go and train in the same room she trained in, but I cannot let you do it as long. Your bodies would not be able to handle the make-up of the room. Jupiter and Uranus might be able to withstand it since they are physically stronger, so they shall have the extra year that the rest of you won't."  
  
"How come Serena was able to stay in there for as long as she did?"  
  
'Oi, this is going to be a long night.'   
  
--------------  
  
AT CAPSULE CORP  
  
"Vegeta! Open this door IMMEDIATELY!" Serena was pounding on the hatch of the gravity room, where her brother had been for the last 5 hours.  
  
"GO AWAY ONNA!" came the voice from inside the room.  
  
"VEGETA! YOU OPEN THIS DOOR RIGHT NOW OR I'LL TAKE THIS MACHINE APART!" She smiled as she felt the electricity die down inside the room. She could hear angry footsteps nearing the entrance. Vegeta knew that she had been working with Bulma to repair his training bots whenever he broke them. He also knew that she had been the one to repair the Gravity Machine lately and she had a temper like his. She would follow through if given the chance.  
  
"You better have a good reason for interrupting me, brat," the Saiyan growled.  
  
"Vegeta. I need you to help me!" Serena put on her biggest pair of puppy-dog eyes that she could. She knew her brother would help her, it was just a matter of finding the right motivation for him.  
  
"What do you want?" Vegeta was growling. Not only was he mad about her stopping him from training, he was mad that she threatened to take away his training room if he didn't stop. 2 strikes against her.  
  
"I need you to help me with Goku. You see, I've been trying to get him to notice me and he won't! I've been trying almost everything against him but it just doesn't seem to work."  
  
"And you want me to do what?" His arms were folded across his chest, trying to show her that he wasn't amused.  
  
"I want you to blow up the gravity machine."  
  
The Saiyan's face fell. "YOU WANT ME TO WHAT?" Vegeta was getting ready to kick his sister out of the gravity machine.  
  
"NO!" She yelled as she put her arms on either side of the door to keep her in. "LISTEN! If you blow it up this once, I'll make sure that it's more durable than anything that Bulma ever put together for you! It will be able to go as high as 1,000 G's if you get that high." She saw her older brother's right eyebrow rise when she said the word 'if'. One of Vegeta's less favorite words. "I mean, WHEN you get that high. It will be one of the most durable machines that you will ever work with."  
  
"Do I have your word on that?" She nodded her head vigorously and promised him that she would have it up by the end of the week. "And how do you think this is going to get Kakkarot to help you, onna?"  
  
"See, that's where you come in." Serena's little mischievous smile crept back on her face. She told him of her plan and how all he needed to do was act like himself. 'That shouldn't be too hard for him,' she thought and smiled as he agreed. She had already informed Bulma of her plan so she wouldn't blow up along with the Gravity Room.   
  
--------------  
  
Later that day...  
  
Everyone, minus Vegeta was at the lunch table devouring the food that was placed before them. When they heard an explosion come from the West side of the house, Goten and Trunks flew out the door to see what it was.  
  
"What was that?" the purple-haired man asked. All of the males watched as Bulma's face turned red, and then slowly got lighter and lighter.  
  
Gohan answered, "That was the gravity machine." Trunks mouthed an "o" and Goku kept eating. This was a normal occurrence at the Briefs household. Vegeta walked through the door with a smug look on his face.   
  
Bulma blew up.  
  
"VEGETA YOU ARROGANT BAKA! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU BLEW THAT THING UP AGAIN!"  
  
"I CAN'T HELP IT THAT YOU MADE IT SO WEAK AND EASILY DESTRUCTABLE!" Serena thought quickly to herself that Vegeta was doing too good of a job.  
  
"WHAT? WEAK?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW THAT I DID NOT SPEND A TWO WEEKS ON REBUILDING AND UPGRADING THAT THING JUST SO YOU COULD BLOW IT UP AGAIN! I REFUSE TO FIX IT ANYMORE." Bulma crossed her arms across her chest and tried to do her best Vegeta's-pissed-off look. She succeeded.   
  
"You can't do that onna! That's your job!"  
  
"MY JOB!? SEE HOW FAR YOU GET WITHOUT THAT STUPID MACHINE!" To the other males in the room, this looked like a serious argument.   
  
"You'll do what I say, woman! I'm the Prince of all Saiyans and you will follow my orders!"  
  
Bulma was having too much fun. "First of all, JERK, I'm not a saiyan and second of all, this is my house and my job is the one that got you that stupid machine in the first place!. I pay for that gravity machine, I pay for the food you eat and what do you do? You fly around in the air like a ballerina and destroy EVERYTHING!"  
  
"How dare you mock my training and call ME a ballerina!"  
  
"I'll call you worse than a ballerina, you stupid, son of a..."  
  
"BULMA!" Serena interrupted. She felt now would be a great time to intervene. "Don't worry. I'll fix the machine. It's okay. You can calm down." She pushed Bulma back into her chair and sat down too. Vegeta threw a smirk at his mate and walked back outside to see what else he could do now that his favorite toy had been destroyed.  
  
Goku had been watching Serena all through lunch. He loved seeing her smile at everyone, especially him and once he thought he caught a playful gleam in her eye. He had been holding back from pursuing her because he didn't want to frighten the girl. He noticed that his loneliness had been slowly melting away since she had been here. Goku could smell chocolate and strawberries whenever she was near and it riled him up to the point where he had to leave or he would have taken her right there on the spot and claimed her as his.  
  
Goku had been listening to the conversation that was going on while eating his food. He smiled inwardly when he heard his angel laugh. 'So beautiful,' he thought as he swallowed his juice.  
  
"Gohan." Goku could hear how creamy her voice sounded when she addressed his son. "I was wondering if you could help me with something later." Goku couldn't understand the rage he was feeling when he heard her ask his son for something.  
  
"Sure, what do you need?" He was following through with the plan and made sure to keep an eye on his father while they were playing this little game.  
  
"Well, I need someone, a guy, to come to the mall with me. I'm going to the mall to find a dress to wear on a date tonight and I wanted a male's opinion on what I should get." Serena smiled her always beautiful smile and Goku was not pleased at all.   
  
"Sure, I'd love to go with you." Everyone except for Bulma could feel a certain someone's ki starting to rise. They knew better than to look at Goku and make it obvious that they could feel it so they kept eating their food in silence.  
  
"Would it be okay if we left after lunch? I don't know how long it will take and my date will be here at 7."  
  
Goku was concentrating so hard on not losing the battle with jealousy that he didn't notice he was holding a broken glass with his hands until juice started running down his arm.   
  
Gohan looked at his father, not expecting him to react like that. "Dad are you okay?"  
  
"I'm fine!" Goku snapped before cleaning up the mess he had just made.  
  
"Okay. Just making sure." Then turning his attention back to Serena, who was smiling from Goku's reaction, and said, "Right after lunch would be just great."  
  
Goku stood up and took his plates to the kitchen without saying a word, which was abnormal for him and everyone watched as he walked out of the house to find his sparring partner.  
  
Serena thanked and squeezed the breath out of Gohan before they took off for the mall.  
  
  
  
3 hours later they returned with a couple of boxes of dresses, formal and informal. Goku watched from far away as they flew back to Serena's balcony to deposit her purchases. He received another hit that sent him flying back a few hundred feet.   
  
Vegeta knew why Goku had been getting hit so much today while sparring. Goku's mind was on something, or rather *someone* else the whole time. 'He's got it bad,' was all Vegeta could think as he kept attacking his partner.  
  
--------------  
  
Everyone had come in for dinner. It was now habit for both families to eat dinner together and everyone was there except for Serena. As everyone sat there, the prince of Saiyans noticed that Goku had been getting a little more tense as time went by. He saw him as his tail stiffened and his hand grabbed his fork a little too tight. Goku's eyes wandered to the stairs where Serena was walking down. It was 6:50, 10 minutes till her date would come and pick her up. Her date was also in on the little plan, thanks to Bulma. She insisted that this would be a very important part. Jealousy always played a big part in winning people over Bulma thought and she was going to make sure that Goku knew exactly what he might lose.  
  
Serena was wearing a maroon long-sleeve knit blouse with a long, flowing-black skirt. Her hair was pulled back into a French braid and you could detect a little bit of make-up on her already beautiful face. Serena's cheeks were slightly pink with blush and her lips were sparkling from her strawberry gloss. Her 2-inch Fioni heels clicked as she descended from the top of the stairway and made her way to the dining room to say thank you to Gohan.   
  
"You look absolutely beautiful, Serena." Bulma was beaming with joy. That was one of the outfits that she had picked out for her, but she didn't want to buy. It was a perfect outfit for her date.  
  
"Thank you."   
  
Gohan didn't turn around because he remembered what she had looked like when she tried it on at the mall. She walked up behind him and placed a kiss on his cheek before hugging him and continuing on to the living room.  
  
Vegeta kept an eye on the other full-blooded Saiyan at the table. He wondered to himself if Serena knew exactly what she was getting herself into. Goku's ki had risen again and Gohan was starting to wonder if he should be concerned about his safety.  
  
'I hope you know what you're doing, brat,' came Vegeta's voice in Serena's head.  
  
She turned and smiled at her brother and replied, yup She turned to go back up to her room, where she purposely forgot her purse. Right after she left, there was a knock at the door. Goku volunteered to answer it because he was anxious to see who he was going to kill tonight.  
  
  
  
  
  
  
"Yamcha?" 


	16. Repairs & SelfControl

--------------  
  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
  
"You look absolutely beautiful, Serena." Bulma was beaming with joy. That was one of the outfits that she had picked out for her, but Serena had declined buying it the first time around. It was a perfect outfit for her date tonight.  
  
  
"Thank you."   
  
  
Gohan didn't turn around because he remembered what she had looked like when she tried it on at the mall. She walked up behind him and placed a kiss on his cheek before hugging him and continuing on to the living room.  
  
  
Vegeta kept an eye on the other full-blooded Saiyan at the table. He wondered to himself if Serena knew exactly what she was getting herself into. Goku's ki had risen again and Gohan was starting to wonder if he should be concerned about his safety.  
  
  
'I hope you know what you're doing, brat,' came Vegeta's voice in Serena's head.  
  
  
She turned and smiled at her brother and replied, yup She turned to go back up to her room, where she purposely forgot her purse. Right after she left, there was a knock at the door. Goku volunteered to answer it because he was anxious to see who he was going to kill tonight.  
  
  
"Yamcha?"  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
  
CHAPTER 16: Repairs & Self Control  
  
  
Yamcha smiled and replied with a hello before letting himself into the house. He was wearing a pair of black slacks, a cobalt-colored dress shirt that hid his muscular body and a silver tie. He looked edible. Of course, he had met Serena and Gohan at the mall earlier so that Serena could help him pick out an outfit that would match hers somewhat.   
  
  
"What are you all dressed up for?" Originally, Yamcha was very nervous about playing along in Serena's game but after much female persuasion and a promise that no harm would come to him, he agreed. Who wouldn't be afraid of a 6'4", jealous, full-blooded Saiyan?  
  
  
"I'm here to pick up Serena for our date," he said coolly, doing his best to hide his nervousness. Yamcha's attention focused on something behind Goku and when he turned around to see what it was, his blood boiled with a very unfamiliar emotion. An aroma of strawberries and chocolate was filling his senses and it only got stronger as she neared. Yamcha tried not to stare, but he couldn't help it. He felt Goku's ki rising and quickly made his way to Serena, who was gorgeous. He picked up her hand and placed a quick kiss on it, which Serena was gracious enough to blush at and held out his arm for her to hold on to.  
  
  
Goku couldn't move when Serena laced her arm under Yamcha's. He scowled as the couple got closer to him but dropped the look as Serena looked at him and stopped. She placed a hand to his cheek, which sent electric shots through him and whispered, "you don't look to good. Maybe you should go lie down." She kissed him on the other cheek and left with Yamcha.   
  
  
His cheeks were still tingling from her contact, even several minutes after they had departed. As his mind cleared of his jealousy, he realized how much he had actually wanted to hurt Yamcha for touching his mate. There was one problem with it though. She wasn't his.  
  
  
  
IN YAMCHA'S CAR...  
  
  
Serena touched her lips. She felt a shock after she had kissed Goku and could still feel a tingling sensation. Yamcha's voice had broken her little reverie.  
  
  
"I'm sorry, Yamcha. What did you just say?"  
  
  
Yamcha laughed at Serena. He knew what she was thinking about and thought it was funny it was that he wasn't attracted to Serena very much. He thought she was beautiful, yes, but he didn't want her like he had wanted her friend, Bulma, so long ago. "You've got it bad, Princess."  
  
  
Serena's cheeks were flushed when she heard that he had picked up on what she was thinking. She smiled at him and asked him what they were going to go and see.  
  
  
"Carmen. Bulma thought it might be good to get a little culture into my life so she got us tickets for it." Serena laughed and they continued the light talk until they got there.  
  
  
  
BACK AT CC...  
  
  
Goku was in his house now without any clue of what to do with himself. Vegeta was spending time with his mate, his older son was off with Mirai and the two little boys were probably off causing trouble somewhere. He needed to exert some energy and quick or he was bound to blow something up. He left in search of Gohan and Mirai Trunks.  
  
  
He walked out of his house and found Goten and Trunks who were throwing rocks up in the air and blowing them up with small ki blasts. "Where's Gohan," he growled. Goten looked up at his dad and shrugged his shoulders.  
  
  
"Dad are you okay? How come you're so mad?" Goten had never seen his father so angry about anything before. He was a little frightened.  
  
  
"I'm fine!" He snapped. Goten stepped back and closer towards Trunks. Fear was evident on his little face and Goku immediately felt horrible for what he just did. "I'm sorry Goten. Your dad's not feeling too well right now. I just need to find Gohan so I can spar and make me feel all better." He held his arms out to Goten, who came in for a hug. After he let his son go, he ruffled Trunk's hair and flew off in search for his oldest son.  
  
  
The rest of the night was spent sparring for Goku. He was sitting on the balcony of his room feeling better until he felt a familiar ki coming towards the house. It was Yamcha and Serena. He was beginning to tense up when they stepped out of the car. Yamcha had walked Serena to the door and they stood there talking for a minute or two. Goku couldn't hear what they were saying but he could read Yamcha's lips. Serena's back was to him so he couldn't tell what she was saying.   
He could make out, 'you're welcome,' 'anytime,' and a few other things.   
  
  
Serena could feel Goku's eyes piercing into her back and whispered to Yamcha. She then leaned forward and placed a kiss on his cheek before retiring into the house. Goku's ki was beginning to rise again but after several minutes of forcing himself to relax, he finally did. It was a long night for him.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
The next morning everyone was eating breakfast together again. Serena had noticed that Goku looked a little tired and was about to ask him why but decided against it.   
  
  
Bulma's cheery voice cut through the tension in the air. "So, let's hear it! How'd your date go last night?"  
  
  
Serena went on to tell everyone about how they went to dinner at some fancy restaurant before they went to see Carmen and how wonderful the singers were. Then they went out for ice cream before he brought her back home. Goku had been getting jealous again and Serena could feel it in waves. Her story telling stopped when they saw Goku holding only pieces of his glass.  
  
  
"Goku! That's the second glass of mine that you've broken already!"  
  
  
Goku looked up and quickly apologized to Bulma. He didn't even remember picking it up to begin with.  
  
  
"If you don't stop breaking glasses, you're going to have to find a job to buy me new ones!" She smiled. This was going to go very well if Serena knew how to pick up on it.  
  
  
"I know," the silver-haired woman started. "You can help me rebuild the gravity machine. Some of those panels are way too heavy for me to lift by myself." She threw the bait out and was waited for the fish to bite.  
  
  
Goku's face immediately brightened at the thought of working so close to her and then darkened again when he remembered how he was trying to avoid her. "I don't know if that's such a good idea. Why don't you just get Vegeta to help you?"  
  
  
Serena, being the expert that she was, came up quickly with the excuse that Vegeta wasn't about to help fix the machine. She told him that he would have just said that if the machine would have been better built, it wouldn't have broken down so it really wasn't his fault. After much batting of eyes, Goku agreed to help her. They started later that day.  
  
  
Serena directed Goku to just take everything and throw it in the big dumpster that was by the work sheds on the side of the house. That took a good half hour. She had forgotten that she had used her magic to clean once so she did it the old fashioned way, lifting it and picking things up herself.   
  
Vegeta did a good job of blowing the machine up. There was nothing left that could have been restored or reused. The first two days were spent in Serena's own 'garage' where she was working on the more technical things. Goku would read to her the instructions and she would connect wires and such. During those two days, tension had been building up quite nicely. Serena knew exactly what she was doing when she had asked him to help her. She knew that they would have to work closely and knew exactly how to handle it.   
  
  
Goku would sit on the table among the many items and tools that she frequently used, at her request. Serena had claimed that it would be the best spot for him because she had a bit of a hard time hearing and he would be able to pass her the tools she needed. Every other chance she got, she would touch his arm or hand with hers and when they were near each other and something was on the other side of him, she would brush up against him, receiving slight shivers from feeling the energy that passed between them. It also didn't help that her tail was waving freely in the air, filling it with that arousing smell of chocolate and strawberries. It amazed Goku how much will power he had to not devour that temptress like he had wanted to do so many times.  
  
  
Many times, she caught a glimpse of what he must have been like in the other life. Kakkarot's intelligence and knowledge was slowly returning. He had often hesitantly suggested changes in programs for certain parts of the computer system and after calculations were done he was rewarded with a smile. Goku didn't know where all of this information about technology was coming from but gladly accepted it. He liked the feeling of being smart much more than that of being dumb.  
  
  
  
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§  
  
  
*FLASHBACK*  
  
  
"Vegeta, before we take off I need to run a systems check for security."  
  
  
Prince Vegeta grunted his approval and took of to his quarters to rest while his best friend and security guard checked over the computers. Being the important person that he was, people were always trying to find someway to kill him. There was another incident a long time ago where someone had tried to sabotage his ship, but Kakkarot caught it after insisting that he do a routine check before they used the space pods. Luckily for his insistence, they both had been saved. Someone had programmed some kind of dimensional transporter into both their ships and since then, the young prince chose to trust Kakkarot's intuition.  
  
  
*END FLASHBACK*  
  
  
§§§§§§§§§§§§§§  
  
  
  
Goku shook his head after remembering that and continued on assisting his woman without a word.  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
The team would start early in the morning. They only had 3 days left to put this thing together. She knew she could do it with Goku's help and now came the more physical part. Having somewhat of a photographic memory, Serena knew where to put the wall panels and the wiring. As she bolted and sealed each part in place, she would use a little bit of her magic to reinforce it. She told Vegeta that she would make it better than anything he had experienced before and she wasn't about to break her promise to him.   
  
  
The smell had been getting stronger and Goku found that he had to excuse himself more and more often the more time he spent around her. Serena at first was getting discouraged but after having a talk with Bulma, who was her best friend in this dimension, she realized that he was probably doing it to keep control of himself. That made her even more excited. Friday rolled around, which meant one more day to get the machine in working order aka one more day to get him to want her.  
  
  
Serena had installed many new programs into the mainframe of the computer, which would allow Vegeta a few more options. When Bulma asked that she not put a food option in there so that Vegeta would come out every once in a while, Serena just laughed and assured her friend that she wasn't going to. One of the newer features was the temperature. She made it like her Training Room, where the temperature would fluctuate without warning. In fact, she tried to make it a lot like the training room, minus the ability of manipulating time. The gravity was able to get up to 1,000 g's now, but she wouldn't tell Vegeta that because she knew that it would be the first thing he would try. He'd probably kill himself doing it, so she kept that information disclosed.  
  
  
The little gravity room was filled with her scent and Goku was on the brink of breaking down. Serena often caught a heated glaze directed at her and the desire for him got stronger and stronger. One last day and he still hadn't touched her, not even in the slightest bit. One day left.  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Bulma had brought Serena into her lab so she could see how things were progressing without anyone else being able to listen in on their conversation. Serena let out her frustrations about her Kakkarot and how he didn't seem to be interested at all in her, even after all the working and 'accidental' seducing she had been laying on thick! It was really harmful to her female pride. Bulma said to give it one last try, just tomorrow and if he didn't do anything then she would have to settle for the thought of him being asexual. That night involved much planning. She resolved that the next day would be better.   
  
  
She woke up at 6am to start her morning routine. She got up, when running for 20 miles. She found it invigorating, as the scenery around her was blurry as she sprinted past it. She made it home in about 45 minutes and jumped in the shower before heading down for breakfast. He had beaten her that morning to the breakfast table and was sitting, eating hungrily without looking up once at her.  
  
  
Serena lifted several waffles onto her plate and devoured them. Her appetite was one to be reckoned with, especially after her 20-mile warm up this morning. Goten had asked his Tenshi if she could train with him and Trunks that morning, but she had declined, telling him as sweetly as possible that she had to finish the project for Vegeta before she could but promised him that today would be the last day. Goten nodded, saying that he understood and told her that he missed her. Goku noticed how attached his son was to this woman and told himself that she would make a good mate for him and mother for his sons.  
  
  
They stood up from the table and left to add a few more finishing touches and run a simulation program before declaring it usable.  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
That afternoon was messed up. Mirai and Gohan had been chasing Goten and Trunks for some time now. The younger Saiyans had left 'food' out and the older boys had taken it and planned on eating it until they turned into rocks in their mouths as they were chewing down. They howled in pain until they heard two familiar laughs hiding behind some bushes. The boys took of and began to hunt the younger ones down. They could use their 'light' to hide but couldn't do anything to keep absolutely quite. It was too bad they rarely worked on their stealth skills. Then maybe they wouldn't have been caught after 3 hours of hiding. There was a good sparring mach going on.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Goku had just crossed off the last item on the checklist that Serena had made for him. He looked up to tell her but saw something that made him totally forget about whatever it was he *was* thinking about. His mind was blank. Serena was bending over, tending to a panel in the wall. Her short shorts had gone for a little hike. She was adjusting a few wires and spreading magic over them, not noticing that her tail was up in the air waiving around to no one in particular, yet catching the eye of a certain someone. Her scent was the strongest it had been this past week and he didn't know how much longer he could hold out.   
  
  
He looked down to his hand and noticed the finished checklist and remembered what he was going to tell her and he wanted to excuse himself before anything happened that shouldn't. It was a pity that his voice chose not to work at that exact moment.   
  
  
Serena screwed the panel door back on and stood up, wiping her hands on the sides of her shorts. "All done." She turned to face Goku who had his eyes glued on her the whole time and didn't bother to hide it when she turned around. His eyes were glazed over with that desire again and she caught it. Pushing it aside and trying to finish carrying out her plan she asked, "shall we test it out?"   
  
  
Goku nodded dumbly and Serena walked over to the panel. There was no center column to get in the way anymore. She had moved all the manual controls to the side of the room, this training room would be controlled with vocal orders.   
  
  
"Computer, set room to 400 g's. Goku had trained under this much gravity before and felt the familiar weight pulling down on him. Serena had been in the room before Vegeta had destroyed it and found that she was immune to the extra gravity. She deduced it must have been a part of her Lunarian heritage somehow. Goku was slower in his attacks but still just slightly faster than she. Serena was on the defensive for quite sometime before she sent out another command to the computer. "Computer, raise gravity 5 marks. Goku seemed unaffected by the change, she could tell because she was still on the defense. She wasn't fast enough to attack her man back.  
  
  
With his permission, Serena kept slowly raising the gravity in the room until she had the advantage over him. By her calculations, Goku would be fine with her next command. "Computer, raise gravity level to 550 g's." Goku cold barely stand with the weight he was now feeling. After one kick at his side, he fell over and couldn't find the strength to stand up again without raising his status to SS1. When she raised the gravity to 700 g's, he was already SS2. With all that power and built up sexual frustration, he had pinned her against the wall unexpectedly. She decided that she didn't want to push him anymore.   
  
  
Serena might not have been able to feel the effects of the change in gravity directly, but she could when another person/object was involved. With her back to the cool wall and her wrists being held by Goku's, she could feel the strength pulsating through his body. Her breathing became ragged as was his from the workout they had gotten.  
  
  
"Goku," she sighed, her cheeks flushed. Goku took this opportunity to look over his prey that he had finally decided to catch.   
  
  
"Do you know how much trouble you have caused me?" he asked with huskiness in his voice. She could only shake her head no. Goku's solid green eyes locked with her bright blue ones. She was entranced and couldn't move. Serena was expecting some kind of response from him but didn't guess, from his normally placid demeanor, that he would be so aggressive.  
  
  
Serena looked at the blonde spiky hair that shot out from his head and his deep, green eyes that were burning with raw desire for her. She got what she wanted but didn't expect it to look like this. As the heat in the room rose, her breaths became more and more shallow. Goku lowered his head to her arm and kissed it lightly.  
  
  
"You have been quite the minx lately, rubbing your scent all over, making you absolutely irresistible. If I would have known better, I would have thought that you were TRYING to seduce me." Goku hadn't been excited like this before, not even with his deceased wife, but then not much could be compared to the experiences that Serena produced. He placed light kisses further up her arm and pulled his head away from her burning flesh.  
  
  
"G...Goku," she whimpered. Serena had been waiting for this. She felt completely helpless, which she was hoping for.  
  
  
"My little Tenshi, I've wanted you like this for so long..." his voice trailed off as his lips made their way up her shoulder and to her collarbone. Hearing her quiet moans of pleasure drove him wild and soon found his tail wrapped around her waist, trying to pull her closer to his hungry body. His hands grabbed either side of her head as his lips claimed every inch except for her lips.   
  
  
Now that her hands were free, they were roaming and exploring Goku's chest and shoulders. Her fingers rode the waves of muscles that decorated his tanned and beautiful male body. Her tail had unconsciously made its way to his back and was stroking it while her hands were attending his chest. They slowly made their way up to his golden hair and sat there as his head roamed her neck.   
  
  
With heaving breaths, Goku pulled away from the girl that had turned his world upside down. He stared into her eyes and saw himself falling into their stormy depths. Serena noticed his face was nearing hers and just as she was about to have her lips finally claimed, something shook her and drove away any and all passionate feelings she was experiencing right then.   
  
  
An old, yet familiar burn was running through her mind and her hands came up to support her head. She stared at the wall behind Goku and her eyes dilated. Goku had no idea what was going on and let go of her while commanding the computer to return gravity to zero.  
  
  
Serena...help us  
  
  
"Raye..." 


	17. Repairs & SelfControl ch16 is now in ch1

--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
With heaving breaths, Goku pulled away from the girl that had turned his world upside down. He stared into her eyes and saw himself falling into their stormy depths. Serena noticed his face was nearing hers and just as she was about to have her lips finally claimed, something shook her and drove away any and all passionate feelings she was experiencing right then.   
  
  
An old, yet familiar burn was running through her mind and her hands came up to support her pain-filled head. She stared at the wall behind Goku and her eyes dilated. Goku had no idea what was going on and let go of her while commanding the computer to return gravity to zero.  
  
  
Serena...help us  
  
  
"Raye..."  
  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 17: BATTLES AT HOME  
  
Serena could see Raye lying on the ground in her Sailor outfit. She couldn't make out any sounds, only pictures of the battle that was going on.  
  
  
Goku was looking at the girl who had just been melting into his arms and noticed that her pupils were dilated and she seemed to be staring into the distance. He shook her shoulders.  
  
  
"Serena...Serena are you okay?" She didn't reply, but kept staring, which confused the man.  
  
  
After a few more seconds, Serena snapped out of whatever trance she was in and started walking to the door without saying a word. Goku who had no idea what had just happened grabbed her arm. "What's going on?"  
  
  
When she turned to face him there were tears in her eyes. Goku's heart was wrenching for this girl who he had fallen for. "I have to save them." She turned around again and Goku followed her into the house.  
  
  
She was running back into the house to find something before she would leave. "You have to save who and where?"  
  
  
"I have to go back to my world and save my friends. Our enemy has finally revealed themselves now and I have to stop them before any more of my friends die."  
  
  
Goku looked around and noticed that they were in her room and she was digging in a drawer for something.   
  
  
"Let me come with you and help you fight." She shook her head at him and told him that he wouldn't stand a chance against her enemy.  
  
  
"We fight differently than you fight here. You would only get in the way, or worse, you could get hurt."  
  
  
Goku couldn't understand how anyone could fight differently and then remembered the magic rings she had used on him and Vegeta when they first met. "Okay."   
  
  
That was definitely not the response she had expected to come from him. "Thank you. Please tell the boys that I will be back later." She walked up to him and kissed him on the cheek. She had found the small brown pouch she had been looking for and in a flash of light she was gone.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
SM DIMENSION  
  
  
Sailor Venus was faring pretty well against the evil minions that had been attacking her ruthlessly. The training that she had undergone for the last few days/years under the guide of Sailor Uranus had been paying off. All those bruises and broken bones hadn't been in vain. She quietly realized that after she had been seriously injured, she always had somewhat of a quick recovery and grew stronger. In fact, it was like that for her whole group the more she thought about it.   
  
  
The opponent had definitely not known about them and their secret training, which meant that these bad guys were not as much of a challenge as they could have been. She blasted a few more away using her Venus Meteor Shower, an attack she had attained while in training.  
  
  
Across the field from Venus was Sailor Mercury who was barely holding her own. She was doing her best to protect Mars who was lying on the ground. Raye had just saved Ami from a lethal attack and tears were forming in her eyes as she remembered what happened.  
  
  
  
*FLASHBACK*  
  
  
Mercury had been attacked by two very large and grotesque monsters. Fear had built up in her chest when she noticed how they towered over her. Sure, she had been training just as long as everyone else but this was different. They never had the intention of killing her like these monsters did. She was normally being protected so she could pinpoint weak spots and come up with strategies to defeat the enemy with but now she was on her own.  
  
  
Calling upon her strength, she swiftly dodged the first few attacks and took a hit to the side before jumping out of the way again. Being the genius that she was, Ami quickly found patterns to their assaults and hit them straight on. She backed up a safe distance away and prepared her attack.  
  
  
"POLAR FREEZE!" Blue light shot out from her fingers and froze the two monsters that loomed before her. An evil cackle came from behind her and she turned to see yet another general floating in the air with his hands folded across his chest.  
  
  
"Hello my little Mercurian Princess. It is so nice to finally meet you."  
  
  
Ami made a disgusted face. "Wish I could say the same."   
  
  
The general's smile faltered slightly before replacing it with a smirk. "Oh well, all good things must end sometime," he said as he slowly raised a hand to her. "I just wish I didn't have to destroy you." A large ball of dark light headed straight for her but she was too frightened to move.  
  
  
Raye had just finished off the last of her assailants. She turned to check on everyone else and just barely caught the general's last statement to Ami. As soon as she saw his hand raise at her friend, she sprinted over to her, knowing exactly what was going to happen.  
  
  
"AMI! NOOOOOOOOO!" Ami was rammed from the side, which sent her out of the path of the dark energy ball. Raye screamed as the blast made contact with her and she landed several feet away from the spot Ami had just been occupying. With whatever energy she had left she tried to call for the one person she knew could save them.  
  
  
Serena...help us!  
  
  
With tears falling from her face, the senshi of wisdom and ice ran to her friend's side. Raye was lying on her stomach, coughing up a thick, dark red substance. Her clothes had been burned along with the left side of her body. She could smell burnt flesh and hair coming from the nearly lifeless Mars as she got closer to check for a pulse.  
  
  
Ami was burning with rage as she heard the heartless general laughing at her friend's injuries. Ami stood up from the ground and with hate in her eyes she yelled, "HOW COULD YOU!"  
  
  
"Very easily!" He smirked and cocked his head back and laughed harder, seeing how much pain she was in. Ami couldn't and wouldn't stand for this any longer. She stepped forward and was too filled with hate for that man that she didn't notice the ground under her was slowly turning to ice. With every step she took, more and more of the ground around her froze.  
  
  
She stopped about 50 feet away from him and lifted her pissed of glare to meet his laughing eyes. Ami could feel her muscles tightening in anticipation while her hands were balling into fists at her side. A cold wind began to pick up and it swooped around her, making her hair flare wildly. Venus could feel the cold wind and looked for its source. Jupiter and Uranus had just arrived on the scene after having to cut their training just a few months short because of the attack.   
  
  
The other three senshi remained silent as they watched Ami start to glow a beautiful royal blue. Her hair was thrashing wildly on her head and her arms began to raise. Her short blue locks grew to the floor, like a cape surrounding her, and turned a metallic bluish color.   
  
  
The scouts quietly ran into the covering provided by nearby growth stared in awe. The wind became chilly and from where they had settle down, the could see both Ami and the evil general clearly. The general was still laughing but he slowly quieted down once he felt her changing. Her eyes were no longer the dark blue that they once were but they were glowing silver.   
  
Her sailor suit disappeared and was replaced by a long flowing white dress with ice-blue trim. The gown was form fitting until it came to the waist, where it flowed behind her in a train. The sleeves of the dress looked like white satin, it too waving in the wind. On her forehead, the sign of Mercury appeared, shining through the dusty air and a tiara of ice rested on her blue locks.  
  
  
"Ooh," the general mocked. "Your hair got longer. What are you going to do? Strangle me to death with it?" he laughed again and Ami was no longer in control of her temper or actions.  
  
  
"DIE YOU BASTARD! MERCURY LIQUID AMBROSIA!" Mercury's silver eyes blazed at the floating man while some sort of clear liquid flew out of her fingers and swirled around his body. An evil smile appeared on the normally calm girl's face as she closed her fingers into fists. The liquid nitrogen cords wrapped around his body and froze him to death and to make sure he stayed dead, she shot an ice crystal at the frozen carcass, causing it to explode before falling to the earth.   
  
  
The girls were too shocked to say anything, but didn't have much time to anyway because they soon discovered that they had their own problems to deal with.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Serena arrived just in time to see that Sailor Jupiter and Sailor Uranus were the only two standing. Having learned from watching and her own training, she hid her ki and crept into hiding to size up the enemy. She sorrowfully noted that Mars, Venus and a strange woman with long blue hair were lying face down on the ground. The only two that were left were fighting a losing battle against 4 very powerful creatures. Lita and Amara were back to back so neither would be caught off guard.   
  
"SWORD OF JUPITER!" Sailor Jupiter held out her arm and a brilliant sword appeared in front of her. She wielded it in both hands and sliced her enemies in half. Somehow they had regenerated themselves and doubled in the process. Now she was facing 4 demons that were set on killing her. She threw the sword up in the air and it disappeared. She found no use in having an object that would only cause her more problems. She went back to physical attacks.   
  
  
Sailor Uranus wasn't having much better luck. Both women were fighting and losing against the enormous creatures. Serena saw 2 unfamiliar beings appear above her two remaining friends. They stretched their hands towards the other side of the field and encased the unconscious females in their own black spheres and made them disappear.   
  
  
Serena's head turned as she felt three ki's disappear. 'Oh no! Where are they taking them?' She glared at the 2 floating beings in the air.  
  
  
"HAHAHAHAHA! What are you going to do now?" The one on the left, who hadn't done much of anything had thrown some sort of black rope at them, which wrapped around the Sailor Scouts' arms and brought them floating into the air. The evil person smirked and watched them struggle helplessly against their restraints.  
  
  
Amara, being the perceptive person she was, knew that they had just taken the unconscious girls to wherever they had already taken Sailor Neptune and Sailor Saturn. She was already pissed off that someone had taken her Michelle away from her and now they had taken whatever friends she had managed to make over the last few 'years'.  
  
  
"Who are you and who do you work for?" Amara interrogated.   
  
  
The figure with the red hair answered in a deep voice. "I would love to introduce you to your new captors. I am Reishin and this is Kirin. We are loyal servants of Her Majesty, Queen Sarenia, Ruler of the Universe, Mother of All."  
  
  
"Sure," Jupiter muttered to herself.  
  
  
"Where have you taken them?" Uranus shouted.  
  
  
"The same place we're going to take you if you don't answer our question!"   
  
  
Kirin spotted a flash of silver on the ground and tossed an exploding ball at it. It blew up on contact with the ground and sent a large ball of fire into the air. She chuckled, noting that there was nothing left.   
  
  
"Where is the Princess?"  
  
  
Neither girl knew and since Amara was better at acting, she decided to do the talking. "How should we know where the princess is? She left us a year ago."  
  
  
The two soldiers looked at each other confused. "What do you mean she left?"  
  
  
"I mean, she left. She packed up her bags one day and left."  
  
  
Amara sent a telepathic message to Lita telling her to look above their two enemies but carefully. Jupiter obeyed and saw an angel floating above them and did her best to keep her facial features the same.  
  
  
"So! Where is she?"  
  
  
Lita was getting rather ticked off by now and decided that she wanted to play along.   
  
  
"Don't you think that if we knew where she was, we'd be WITH her?" These guys were really stupid she decided. The one named Reishin hit the two stranded women with a powerful blast which left the smell of burnt clothes and flesh lingering in the air. Both being prideful fighters, didn't make a sound as the attack made contact.  
  
  
Kirin came up to them and proceeded to attack them with punches to the gut and face. "No matter," Kirin interrupted. "We'll just have to kill you then. We have no use for you anymore."  
  
  
She raised her hand to fire another dark energy ball at them but froze when she heard a voice behind them. They turned around and looked up to see an angel floating about 20 feet away. She had large white wings and long silver hair flowing down her back. She was dressed in a white and silver Chinese-style dress, with long slits up the side made for easier movement, and a silver belt.  
  
"I don't think so," she said coolly.  
  
"And just who do you think YOU are?" Reishin asked.  
  
"The one you are looking for. I am the Light of the Universe. I am Justice and Mercy and I sentence you to death. MOONLIGHT RINGS!"  
  
10 rings flew out of her wings and shot straight at the two people in front of her. They were pinned in place and found they couldn't move an inch no matter how much they struggled. They panicked and looked at their attacker. Her glowing eyes penetrated their souls and they were afraid.  
  
"Let us go this instant," Kirin commanded.  
  
"And who are you to command me, weakling?" the cold silver voice asked. She silently noted that watching Vegeta really did help her after all.  
  
  
Lita was whispering to Amara. She wanted to believe desperately that the person she was seeing was her best friend, Serena, but no matter how much she tried, the woman she saw didn't sound like her at all. Serena wasn't cold like this person was and didn't have silver hair or silver eyes.  
  
  
"I am the Queen's right hand, commander of the royal army." Reishin puffed out his chest with pride.   
  
  
Serena saw this and scorned. "That's nothing to be proud of. Now you will tell me where the rest of your prisoners are or be destroyed."  
  
  
Reishin growled. "I will never betray my Queen!"  
  
  
"Do you feel the same way?" Kirin agreed by nodding her head and vocalized that she did. "Then you will both be destroyed."  
  
  
The light from the rings spread over their bodies and their screams from the burning pain they felt echoed into the wide expanse of grass and trees. "Noooooo!"  
  
  
Serena directed the moonlight onto the darkness that was binding her friends and she gently lowered them to the ground. Jupiter hastily backed away from the cold being that had just killed the two without a second thought.  
  
  
"Who are you?" She asked.   
  
  
Serena's face fell, hearing that her close friend didn't even recognize her. Her wings folded around her like a cape and she stood their waiting for the other's reaction.   
  
  
Amara immediately walked up to her and embraced her. "Welcome back Koneko." Serena's eyes softened instantly at hearing her nickname. She brought her arms out from under the protection of her wings and wrapped them around the other woman. "You've changed a lot since I've last seen you." Amara put her at arm's length. "Look at you! Your hair's silver, your eyes are silver, your wings are beautiful, you're beautiful...You've grown up so much."  
  
Serena could only smile, hearing that one of her friends approved of the new 'her'.  
  
"Serena?" Lita was so confused. Never could she have imagined that her friend might ever look like she did. It was probably because Serena never mentioned any of it in all her letters to them.   
  
  
She nodded her head and the brunette came running to her and scooped her up in her arms. "I didn't know if I'd ever see you again!" Lita quietly sobbed into her hair and Serena patted her back in comfort. "I missed you so much!"  
  
  
Serena sniffed back a few tears herself. "I missed you more," she said, lightly chuckling. Lita stepped back and wiped her face and smiled at the angel that stood before her. "We need to get our girls back, but let's go home first." Serena told Amara to concentrate on where their new home was and she used the image in her head to teleport them all back home.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Trista met the three warriors back at the mansion they all now called home. She was clad in her Sailor uniform as well and was holding her Time Staff in her hand.  
  
  
"What's going on, Pluto?"  
  
  
"Mars, Mercury and Venus were seriously injured before being kidnapped and Endymion, Saturn and Neptune were taken as well. They were not injured however."  
  
  
"Thank you. Might you have any idea where they are?" Serena was nervous about confronting the enemy because she didn't know anything about them. In all the letters that she had been receiving, they had all said minimal things about whatever opposing force was out there. Peace had lasted almost the entire time she was gone.  
  
  
Pluto tapped her staff down on the ground and a hologram of earth popped up. "I was able to track them in the northwestern hemisphere, right around this area," she said pointing to a spot on the map. As she 'zoomed in', pictures of grand mountains covered in snow filled the room.  
  
  
'Stupid enemies. Why do they always have to pick cold places?' she grumbled.  
  
  
"Princess, this enemy is stronger than any of us can imagine. They will be a tough opponent for you, but I'm sure that you will be able to conquer in the end."  
  
  
"Thank you, Pluto." She smiled warily at her friend. Serena was tired from teleporting across dimensions and decided that a good rest was at hand while she decided how they should go about finding their friends and bringing them home.   
  
  
While they were eating dinner, Lita and Amara were filling her in on the monsters that they had fought and their training for the last several years in the Training Room.  
  
--------------  
  
A cat padded through the house looking for its occupants. When it didn't see anyone on the training floor, it walked up the stair to the main floor and followed voices into the dining room.  
  
  
"Meow?"  
  
  
Serena heard the familiar voice and tried to find where it came from. "Luna!"   
  
  
"Serena! You're back!" Luna sprinted to her owner and jumped into her awaiting arms. Serena hugged her cat and guardian up to her face and snuggled with her, holding her close to her body. She missed being able to talk to Luna and asking her advice at all hours of the day or night.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Everyone went to bed early that night so they could start off on their search for their enemy's base early the next morning. After a large breakfast, Serena teleported the three of them to the Time Gates where Sailor Pluto was keeping watch. She led the small team to a window that showed an enormous mountain range.   
  
  
"We have to search all of that?" Lita's mouth was hanging open. The mountains stretched over what looked like hundreds and hundreds of miles. 'Well, guess we better wear warm clothes'.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
DBZ DIMENSION  
  
  
Goten couldn't sense her anywhere. Where had his tenshi gone? No one seemed to know, but he knew one person that might, cause he knew everything. When Goten found the man he was looking for, he flew straight up to his face.  
  
  
"Dad! Dad! Where's my tenshi? Where'd she go?"  
  
  
Goku had a dejected look on his face when his son asked where his angel had gone. "She was needed at home."  
  
  
"But I already checked, dad! She wasn't there. I can't sense her anywhere." Goten looked like he was about to cry.  
  
  
Goku lifted his son's chin with a finger so he could look him in the eye. "No son. She went back to *her* home, back to where she came from. She had to help some friends." Even though his son was now technically 12, he still had the innocence and heart of a 10 year-old.  
  
  
"Well, when is she coming back?"  
  
  
Goku shook his head. "She didn't know when, son, but wanted you to know that she would come back."  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
SM DIMENSION  
  
  
It had been 4 days since they started their journey. When Serena told them that she could sense the ki's of their friends, they had no idea what she was talking about. Trista had just given them signalers or "Scout Scouters" as she put it trying to lighten up the mood somewhat. It worked. What the little machine did was it picked up signals from the communicators that the girls wore. When Luna had created the communicators, she had written down the different signals and transmissions that each one had, just incase of an emergency, like now.  
  
  
%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%  
  
  
It had been 4 days since anyone had seen or heard from Serena. Goku told everyone why she had left, the night she left, at dinner. Things were strange without her around and for the last few days everyone was off with their own sparring partners. Vegeta had to exercise much patience with the changing Goku. He had apparently been going through a lot of stress with Serena gone and had been biting everyone's heads off lately. Goten cried himself to sleep the first night and then Gohan just told him to stay at Trunks' house until Serena came back.  
  
  
Poor Goku didn't have a clue to what was going on with himself. Vegeta tried to explain several times but without much luck. Somehow, Goku would find something to get offended by and blow up and demand to spar. The poor Saiyan had never had to deal with the 'change' before and still had no idea how to deal with it.  
  
  
On the 10th day since she had been gone, the boys had been getting into more and more trouble without their Tenshi around to keep them busy. Bulma had convinced the boys that they wanted to go camping. The two busy-bodies packed their gear and left that afternoon to head to 'their spot' by the lake.   
  
  
They were setting up their tent when Goten suddenly got quiet.  
  
  
"What's the matter, Goten?" Trunks was looking at his friend who was staring off into nothing.  
  
  
"Can you hear it?" Goten's ears strained to hear something calling to him.  
  
  
"No, I can't hear anything. It's probably just your stomach talking again." Trunks continued to pull the tent poles out of the nylon bag and set them on the ground. He was starting to get a little annoyed with Goten since he was doing all the work himself.  
  
  
"Goten! Why are you still standing there..."  
  
  
Help me   
  
  
Trunks' face paled when he heard a voice in his head. He would recognize it anywhere.   
  
  
Goten turned around with tears in his eyes. "Trunks...she's hurt."  
  
  
Trunks' eyes began to water too. "Tenshi..." 


	18. Rescue Attempt

--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
  
On the 10th day since she had been gone, the boys had been getting into more and more trouble without her around to keep them busy. Bulma had convinced the boys that they wanted to go camping and so they agreed. The two busy-bodies packed their gear and left that afternoon to find 'their spot' by the lake.   
  
  
They were setting up their tent when Goten suddenly got quiet.  
  
  
"What's the matter, Goten?" Trunks was looking at his friend who was staring off into nothing.  
  
  
"Can you hear it?" Goten's ears strained to hear something calling to him.  
  
  
"No, I can't hear anything. I think it's just your stomach talking again." Trunks continued to pull the tent poles out of the nylon bag and set them on the ground. He was getting a little annoyed with Goten since he wasn't helping him at all.  
  
  
"Goten! Why are you still standing there..."  
  
  
Help me   
  
  
Trunks' face paled when he heard the voice in his head. He would recognize that voice anywhere.   
  
  
Goten turned around with tears in his eyes. "Trunks...she's hurt."  
  
  
Trunks' eyes began to water too, a new thing for the young prince. "Tenshi..."  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 18: RESCUE ATTEMPT  
  
  
Trunks froze. He knew that voice. Goten turned his now pale face to his friend. "Trunks! We have to get to her!"  
  
"We can't though! She went back to her dimension!"  
  
Goten was shaking in fear and anger. Trunks watched as his friend's pupils dilated and he stared at nothing again.  
  
--------------  
  
It was cold. He could tell because the 3 people on the wall were shivering. There were 3 women from what he could see. 2 with blonde hair, one short and one long, and the third woman had medium long chocolate brown hair. He couldn't see any of their faces though because their heads were hanging from exhaustion.  
  
Goten looked around the room and could see three more people on the opposite side of what he now knew was a dungeon of some sort. There was a man with black hair and two women; one had shoulder-length, aqua colored hair and the other one had short black hair. He suddenly recognized these people from pictures that Serena had shown him and Trunks one day. He crept closer to them and tried asking them if they needed help but they couldn't hear him.  
  
Goten got closer and noticed how their clothes were covered in blood. He jumped back after seeing the gashes on their faces and bodies. There was blood everywhere.  
  
'These are her senshi!' Goten desperately looked around the room for his Tenshi and her light, but couldn't find her anywhere. He reached out to find her ki and was about to give up when he suddenly felt a flicker of it somewhere. Closing his eyes, he was able to concentrate better and he followed it through a few corridors before finding a dimly lit room.  
  
Goten heard a whip crack and a woman scream. He peeked around the corner, afraid of what he was going to find. There were three more women in this room. One with long black hair, one with long blue hair and one with long dark red hair. The woman with the black hair was leaning against the wall with her hair covering her broken body. He remembered her as Sailor Mars. When he looked again he didn't recognize the other two her were hanging from the wall.  
  
A man walked out of the shadows of the room, holding a whip in his hands, laughing at his prisoners.  
  
"Well, which one of you wants to go first?" Neither answered until the man walked up to the blue-haired woman. "Maybe you," he said lifting her chin with the rounded part of the whip. Pain was all he could see on her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut and as her head got higher, Goten could see the deep wounds on her chest and her abdomen.   
  
"Leave her alone," came the voice of the red-haired woman. Blue just sniffed back her tears and started hiccupping, afraid of the torture she was about to go through for what seemed like the millionth time that day.  
  
"And now why would I want to do that?" He walked away from blue and lifted red's chin so he could look her in the eyes. Goten blinked. Her eyes were glowing...silver.  
  
--------------  
  
She just glared at him, not saying a word. "That's what I thought!" He raised his hand to slap her across the face but another voice came in.  
  
"General! Stop right there! We have specific orders not to touch her face!" The general backed away from her growling and flicked his whip and hit her across her stomach. She flinched but didn't make a sound. He brought his arm back only to thrust it forward again, whipping the blue-haired lady. She shrieked in pain. Goten saw the blood starting to drip down her fuku and down her legs.   
  
"LEAVE HER ALONE!" red yelled louder. He laughed and whipped blue over and over again.   
  
--------------  
  
Goten covered his ears to block out the horrid sound and even though he closed his eyes, he could still see the beating in his mind. "I don't want to be here anymore! I don't want to be here anymore!!! I want to go home! Someone help me!! Please! HELP ME!" He screamed but no one could hear his plea.  
  
After a while, he peeked his eyes open and saw the man still whipping the helpless woman who was screaming in agony. He slowly let go of the sides of his head and tried to shoot a ki blast but it didn't work. Whatever he tried to do to help wasn't working at all, it didn't even touch the other man.  
  
"I SAID LEAVE...HER...ALONE!" The woman with red hair lifted her head with her glowing silver eyes. The man turned to mock her and tell her to shut up but he froze and stared into her eyes, which began to glow green and before he could move, lightning bolts flew out of the green orbs and struck him. The charges of electricity didn't stop until his body lay shaking and smoking on the ground. When the red-haired woman noticed it, she relaxed a little more and her eyes turned silver again. She knew that they would send someone else in but at least this one was dead.  
  
Just as she thought, another man walked out of the shadows and kicked the dead body aside. "You wanted it, you'll get it!" he told her as he started whipping her. She lifted her head and looked directly at Goten and with her mind she called out to him, help me, please... Goten began crying again as he watched his angel get whipped horrendously. He cried for help to the only person he could think of.  
  
DDDAAAAAAAADDDDDDDDDDDDDYYYYYYYYYYYYY   
  
--------------  
  
Trunks tried calling Goten's name but it didn't work. He punched him, kicked him, threw a small ki blast at him and nothing phased him in the least. "Goten, this isn't funny!" As he reached out to shake him, he could feel something dark surrounding his friend. As soon as he put his hand on his friend's shoulder, he was surrounded in black.  
  
--------------  
  
Trunks blinked as his eyes adjusted to the darkness of the room he was in. With his sensitive Saiyan nose, he could smell blood and his eyes followed the wall until he saw a red-haired woman standing there, blood dripping from her body onto the floor. She felt familiar but with his eyes he couldn't place from where he knew her. He was thoroughly confused. Trunks knew that if he needed to concentrate more he would only have to close his eyes, so he did. He reached out and could feel Serena's ki, but it was very weak. Before he had closed his eyes, he noticed that the other two women looked dead, which would explain why he couldn't feel 3 ki signatures. One was lying on the ground with her sticky black hair covering her body and the other one was only being held up by the black, glowing chains that were around her wrists.  
  
The young prince watched on while the woman standing was getting the beating of her life. A large man walked back into the room holding a wooden box in his hands. He stopped a few feet away from Serena and slowly opened the box to pull out what looked like a black crystal. He lifted it gingerly from its cloth wrapping and it floated into the air, hovering above his open palm.   
  
Trunks could hear the foreign words that were coming out of the man's mouth. The crystal pulsed its dark light and a few beams shot out at her chest. Serena screamed as the dark magic burned her upper body. The light was poisoned somehow but because of her fusion with the silver crystal, it was countered and had no negative effects on her at all.  
  
Trunks pointed his body at the direction he could feel her ki coming from and slowly opened his eyes. It was the red-haired woman!  
  
--------------  
  
Serena lifted her head. Her hair was heavy and soaked with blood. The first man had gone down and the other one that had just been beating her was resting somewhere else. She could feel him near, but not anywhere in the room. Serena thought she could feel two familiar beings around her, but it wasn't those of the women on either side of her. She stopped feeling Raye's ki yesterday, or what she thought yesterday was and Ami's ki had just barely died out.   
  
  
She looked up at where she thought she could feel the familiar energy coming from but saw nothing and started to weep silently to herself.  
  
--------------  
  
Trunks knew that it was Serena the moment she looked at him. He tried calling out to her but she couldn't hear him or see him from what he could tell. He cried when he saw her crying. He could hear her grief stricken sobs and he felt dirty and weak for being in the same room, yet not being able to do anything about it. He watched her as she lifted her head and looked somewhere else in the room.  
  
The purple-haired boy didn't know how he could have missed that ki signature and that voice. Goten was crying when his tenshi looked at him. He ran up to her to try to hug her but his arms went right through her body and through the wall, which made him cry harder.  
  
"Goten!"  
  
Goten tore his eyes away from his dying tenshi and saw his best friend. "Trunks? I want to go home!" He ran over to the purple-haired boy who did his best to comfort him. Trunks felt Goten shaking in his arms and crying hysterically. He had never been this scared in his life. He was in a dark room that smelled of dead bodies and blood and his best friend was screaming in his arms and shaking.  
  
--------------  
  
Goku could feel something was wrong with his son and left Vegeta immediately. He was flying over the fields at a fast pace until he heard his son yell for him. It was the fact that he could hear it in his mind that scared him the most and he sought out his son's ki and instant transmissioned right to his side.   
  
When he got there, Goten was sitting on a rock and staring off at something past Trunks, who was holding his shoulder with one hand. Goku felt that something was horribly wrong at the way he saw tears coming from both boys eyes, yet neither of them were moving.   
  
"Goten, what's wrong?" His concern grew when his son nor Trunks turned their heads or acknowledged that he was there.  
  
"GOTEN!" he called his son's name several more times but still received no answer. As he neared the boys, Goku could feel something dark emitting from them. He reached out his hand and a flash of dark graced his sight before he blinked back to the green of the forest. As his hand neared the boy, he could smell blood.   
  
Goku grew more frightened when he saw his son shaking, almost convulsing without making a sound. He finally grabbed him by the shoulder, when he was suddenly shroud in total darkness.   
  
--------------  
  
Goten was incredibly scared and he was holding on to Trunks. 'How come I can't wake up? I want to go home!'  
  
Goku saw a sight that he wished he hadn't seen. A woman with dark red hair was chained to a stone wall with blood seeping from the many gashes in her body and two other women, presumably dead where on either side of her. That's all he could see before he pulled his hand away from his son and was jerked back into his world.  
  
--------------  
  
"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH" Goten yelled at the top of his lungs. Someone had grabbed him and Trunks from behind and he couldn't see who it was.   
  
"Goten! GOTEN DAMMIT! OPEN YOUR EYES!" Goten's eyes flew open at the sound of his father's voice. He saw his dad and jumped into his arms and squeezed the life out of him. Goku swallowed both boys in his enormous arms and tried to comfort them and quiet their hysterical screams. Neither had seen death before or anything near it and they were scared witless at the torture they had just witnessed, their 10-year-old innocence still intact.   
  
After he had calmed down a bit, Goten pulled away from his father and ran to the nearest bush, Trunks not far behind. The sound of two children vomiting rang through the forest. The little boys needed relief and that was how their body dealt with it. The blood, the gashes...the tears and the torture.  
  
--------------  
  
The second soldier to abuse her had come back in the room after a long moment of being away. Serena resolved that she wouldn't cry in front of him no matter what was done to her. She lifted her defiant eyes to meet his gaze.   
  
"Looks like you have a visitor, princess." He mock bowed and drug out 'princess' and then moved to the side as another man walked in behind him. This one was tall, about 6'4", muscular build and tanned skin. He had cold, black eyes, the same color as his hair and a quiet yet authoritative voice.  
  
"Hello your highness." He bowed at the waist and straightened himself.  
  
"Who are you?"  
  
"I am Admiral Kiat."  
  
"What do you want?" she spat.   
  
The way he looked at her that very instant made her blood run cold. "You." The darkness that was emitting from his body made her weaker and before she knew it she was unconscious.  
  
  
Serena woke to comfort and the light of a small flickering candle. She tilted her head to the side and noticed that she was no longer in the dungeon but in what looked like a bedroom. There was a washbowl on the small table next to her head and the candle burning softly next to it. The door was far away and she knew that she had to try to escape but couldn't find the strength to do anything. As she slowly gained her senses, she noticed that someone else was in the room.   
  
Admiral Kiat stepped out of the shadows. "I see you're awake now."  
  
Still not being fully aware of anything, her defense named Sarcasm stepped forward.  
  
"Way to go Captain Obvious." She groaned and rubbed her head and fell back to the pillow.  
  
He was about to comment that he didn't know who this 'Captain Obvious' was but figured out by the sound of her tone that she must have called him that on purpose.  
  
"Arem, get this woman cleaned up for her audience with her Majesty."  
  
"Yes sir." A cloaked figure made her way to the bedside and began to wash the bloody mess of a girl. Admiral Kiat had left the room to tend to 'more pressing matters', which left them in total silence. Serena could feel something constricting her throat.   
  
"What is this thing around my neck?" She strained to hear the soft voice of the servant that was attending her.  
  
"It is an energy collar. It was placed on you to make sure that your energy level wouldn't rise higher than 50. That way you will be strong enough to walk and to move around but not strong enough to do anything else."  
  
"Oh." Serena lay still, her body still sore from what seemed like months of punishment. "Do you know how long I've been here?" She couldn't move her head from the lack of energy and sore muscles.  
  
"You have been here approximately one week surface time, or so my sources have told me."  
  
'One week? That's all? Why does it seem longer than that?'  
  
"I know you must be surprised," Arem, the servant, said. "We are in the Queen's castle, which is embedded deep within this mountain range. Because you can't see the changing sun, it is easy to lose track of the time spent in here."  
  
"How long have you been in here?" Serena watched Arem's face fall.   
  
"I am not quite sure. I was brought here when I was 13 years old on the night of the harvest moon. Since then, 24 harvest moons have passed."  
  
'Hmm, how old would that make her? Harvest moon comes once a year so 13 plus 24 would make her...'  
  
"37."  
  
"Pardon me?"  
  
"You should be around 37 years old." All was quiet again for a while as Arem thought about her age and tried to conjure memories from her long-forgotten past.  
  
Serena's thoughts wandered in the direction of this person who was being incredibly gentle with her. "If I may ask one more question, why are you being so nice to me?"  
  
The servant's hand stopped moving for a second before picking up its pace again. "Because with your arrival here, the gods have answered my prayers, in hope of freedom."  
  
Serena was happy that the room was almost shroud in darkness because if not, the servant would have surely seen the look of sadness on her face. 'But what if I can't save her?'  
  
Serena knew that what she was doing was certainly the wrong thing, but she had started to make conversation with this servant. Arem had seemed unsure about it at first since she was never allowed to speak unless ordered to. She told Serena about her life before she was captured and how her planet was destroyed in a far away galaxy. Serena felt pity for the poor woman, who, but just listening, could tell she was a bit older.  
  
It had been a good hour since Arem had first arrived to Serena's aid. The salve that was applied to her open wounds stung but Serena couldn't think of any other way to heal than the 'old' way. She couldn't heal the fast way because any energy that she might try to use would be drained by the collar around her neck.  
  
Her mind was reeling with attack plans. She was tired of losing her friends and she was not going to let them down again. She vowed that not another one of her friends would be lost to evil this time around. Serena painfully brought her legs under her on the bed and fell into deep meditation. All the answers she needed just had to be remembered.  
  
'First problem, heal. How am I going to do that if I don't have enough energy?' Her brow furrowed in thought. 'Senzu beans! I don't need any energy for those and one will heal my body completely!' Her inner smile faltered. 'But what about after I'm healed and all my energy comes back? What then?' She tried to remember all her training sessions with the boys and everything they had taught her. 'Those boys are going to get rewarded when I get home!' Serena remembered that she had learned to suppress her ki, but she would have to do it slowly. Maybe she could just eat the senzu slowly and that would restore her energy slow enough that she could hide it. But to keep it below 50 would be quite the challenge. She broke out of her trance and pulled a senzu out of its hiding place in her sub-space pocket.   
  
Pluto was going to be rewarded for that too, she vowed. She slowly ate one while Arem went to find her suitable wear for her meeting with Queen Sarenia. Serena bit off as little as possible as quickly as possible. It was quite a task and she felt her energy be drained a couple of times as it soared from the fruit, but she quickly learned how and when to push her ki level down so she wouldn't be drained again.  
  
By the time Arem came back, Serena was done healing and sat on the bed. She would have to do her best to hide her victory though. She tried to remember the position she was left in and quickly arranged herself on the bed. With her near death experience, she could sense her enormous power laying quietly within the confines of her conscience. Someone was going to die tonight and it wouldn't be anyone on the side of good.  
  
Arem quickly dressed Serena into some sort of dark gown that covered almost every inch of her body and walked back out the door she had just come in. Admiral Kiat came back in with two guards following him. Serena was sitting calmly on the bed, waiting for whatever was going to happen next. She was too anxious to figure out what to do once she got there, but had faith that something would come to her.  
  
She was led down several dark corridors and the group turned several times before they stopped at a large set of wooden doors. There were pictures, more like a story, etched into the thick wood. Not a word was spoken, even as Kiat walked into what she thought was the throne room, to announce their presence.  
  
"Bring her in."   
  
Serena could feel the coldness of evil running around her and trying to make its way into her pure body. She did all that she could to keep the little spirits from entering her as well as keeping her ki level low. As evil as it felt, the room was something to behold.   
  
Little bluish-green lights grew from the wall in shapes of mushrooms. To put it simply, it was dark and beautiful. More mushrooms grew along side the path they were walking on and she noticed little purple insects flying around with their light ebbing from their bodies like fireflies. There were many spots along the wall that were not lighted but Serena didn't seem to notice. Her attention was focused on the throne ahead, that seated her captor.   
  
"Welcome Princess Serenity." 


	19. Enemy From the Past

Here, I'm posting 19 as well for making you guys wait for ever. I'm so sorry for the slacker-ness on my part. I hated not posting for so long. Promise to never do that "review me and I'll email you the next chapter" thing. I hope you enjoy it :)   
  
Kristi the Echo Hunter  
  
  
  
  
AN: Here's a quick, rough translation of a name that comes up later in this chapter.  
  
Eimin no Megami = Goddess of Eternal Sleep (Death), yet another name I give myself :)  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
Serena could feel the coldness of evil running around her and trying to make its way into her pure body. She did all that she could to keep the little spirits from entering her as well as keeping her ki level low. As evil as it felt, the room was something to behold.   
  
Little bluish-green lights grew from the wall in shapes of mushrooms. To put it simply, it was dark and beautiful. More mushrooms grew along side the path they were walking on and she noticed little purple insects flying around with their light ebbing from their bodies like fireflies. There were many spots along the wall that were not lighted but Serena didn't seem to notice. Her attention was focused on the throne ahead, that seated her captor.   
  
"Welcome Princess Serenity."  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 19: ENEMY FROM THE PAST  
  
Serena looked towards the voice but couldn't see her face. She stayed silent, a trick she had picked up from Vegeta. Trunks had explained that his father liked to size up the competition and he could usually guess straight on what they were like by just listening to them.   
  
"How were your accommodations? Nice I'm assuming."  
  
Serena kept her lips stiff, choosing not to respond.   
  
"Well, that's no way to treat your host. We show you hospitality and yet you show no gratitude for taking care of you." Serena watched as Queen Sarenia became impatient.   
  
"Why does she not answer?" The queen was mad. Serena could see anger burning in her green eyes.   
  
"Your Majesty, the soldiers have reported that she has not spoken since the two women were killed earlier." Serena struggled to keep her tears in check as the Admiral reminded her of a most painful experience.  
  
"Is that so? Well, what would you have to say if the rest of your pitiful little friends were to die as well?" Serena's eyes widened slightly, but she remained silent. To put on a little act, praying to Selene it would work, Serena fell to the ground and made her body limp.  
  
She could hear the queen yelling at the two soldiers for their incompetence in dropping a 'small girl'. They quickly picked her back up and held her tightly in their grip, so not to lose her to the floor again and be threatened with death.  
  
Serena knew that she was on dangerous grounds but she kept playing anyway. A few moments later, she dropped her head forward and slacked her body, pretending to pass out. The queen saw it and asked her soldiers why she was acting so strange. They carefully reminded their queen of the collar that had been placed around her neck when the shackles were removed from her wrists.  
  
"Take it off!"  
  
"But your Majesty," the admiral began. "I don't think that's such a wise decision..."  
  
"Admiral," she glared, "I didn't ask for your opinion! Remove it! I want her to be fully conscious for the show I'm about to put on for her."  
  
"Very well, your Highness." The admiral punched the code in and the collar disappeared from around her neck and into thin air. Serena smiled inwardly. Her plan had worked so far.  
  
Serena listened carefully and heard sounds of clanging metal against the rock walls.   
  
"What are you going to do to us?" a voice asked. Serena barely recognized it as Sailor Jupiter's voice. She forced herself to stay down.  
  
"I'm going to kill you. You've caused enough trouble and I want you out of the way. No offense but you guys can get annoying when one is trying to take over the galaxy." The evil queen's laughed echoed throughout the cavern as she walked over towards the wall. Serena could sense the presence of her remaining senshi. She slowly lifted her head and pretended to regain consciousness.   
  
"Ah, princess. So glad to see you're awake. I have a little surprise for you!" She pointed to the wall and Serena nearly vomited at the sight she saw. Her friends' bodies were thrashed. Blood was dried to their skin and there were so many cuts and gashes on them that she felt nausea creeping up to her throat. Their faces were bruised and bloody as well. Some of them weren't even standing but hanging by the chains that kept them suspended.   
  
The queen cackled again as a red beam shot out and hit Sailor Neptune in the chest. Amara screamed with rage as her loved one died right next to her.   
  
Serena watched in horror as her friend fell limp. She really did feel like falling to the ground now. How could anyone kill in cold blood?  
  
"I swear to Kami that I will get my hands on you and kill you for what you've done!" Sailor Uranus screamed.   
  
Serena was forced to watch as her friend had fallen and not even in battle...Her voice was caught in her throat. She couldn't say a word as she watched Sarenia turn her attention to another female.  
  
"Ah, the beautiful Sailor Venus, the goddess of Love and Beauty. How funny is it that you're anything but beautiful now?" Darien jerked his head to look at his love. Her hair was a mix of blonde and brown from the dried blood. There were purple and blue marks all over her face and dried blood along the side of head as well as her lips.  
  
"Leave...her alone," came his hoarse voice.  
  
"Be patient your highness! You're next!" the queen snipped and turned her attention back to Serena.  
  
Serena barely recognized the girl. She didn't look anything like the beautiful look-alike that she knew. "Any last words, Princess? No? Well then..."  
  
Serena watched as another friend died by the hand of that evil witch. She was crying openly now, tears falling from her face, but she wasn't able to wipe them away because of the two guards who were holding her up. Her eyes began to glow with hatred for this woman who was killing her friends. How could anyone be so cruel and cold-hearted?  
  
Serena could hear the heartbroken cries of her dark haired friend who just lost his eternal love. It broke her heart to hear a grown man sobbing as the woman he loved was just taken from him again.  
  
"Oh, you thought that was bad? Watch this." Queen Sarenia didn't waste time. She pointed her hands at Darien, her best friend. She couldn't hold it in any longer.  
  
"NOOOOO! LEAVE HIM ALONE!" The queen smirked at Serena and let lose a stream of electricity, shocking the poor earth prince and leaving him in a smoking crispy state.  
  
"NOOO!!! DAARRIIIEEENNN!" Serena could feel the rage burning within her. Her best friend had just died and she had done nothing in her power to save him or any of them. The guards watched in confusion as an invisible wind picked up her hair and whipped around her, stinging them as well.  
  
"What the HELL is going ON?"   
  
"YOU...SHALL...PAY!" Serena no longer tried to block her ki and it only skyrocketed the more she thought about the deaths that had just occurred. Queen Sarenia saw the sudden change in her opponent and immediately called for more guards.   
  
Serena had destroyed the two men that were holding her back only a few moments ago. Her hair turned into what looked like a liquid silver and her wings and tail had appeared. She quickly wrapped her tail around her waist for safety measures and walked towards the queen, who just a few seconds ago was wearing a smirk.   
  
Sarenia was on the other side of the enormous room and Serena was quickly being surrounded by the guards that were filing in. Admiral Kiat was doing nothing but watching from far away the changes the little princess was undergoing. He thought her even more beautiful when her wings had appeared.  
  
Serena could feel memories returning to her as she was undergoing a change in her power level. She felt the dormant power awaken, remembering that part of her Saiyan Heritage made it so that she was stronger after each battle. Something in the back of her mind told her that she had now ascended to the Super-Saiyan status, the last piece finally snapping in place. She felt invincible. Nothing could touch her now and she would dominate. It was the loss of loved ones that brought the change about. The guards watched as she spread her magnificent wings. Her back was facing the queen who was not her biggest concern right now.   
  
The soldiers were stunned and watched closely as her eyes began to flash purple. Lavender streaks made their way into her silver hair and her wings turned black, which scared some of the guards that were standing directly in front of her.  
  
Jupiter, Uranus and Saturn were watching as their friend transformed into what looked like a mix of Serenity and Saturn.   
  
Serena glared at the army who was now standing in front of her. She didn't move a muscle without thinking through what she was going to do. It came to her.  
  
Return to me my loyal friends Everyone in the throne room watched silently as the 6 bodies along the wall disappeared and turned into lights and started floating towards her. 3 more appeared out of nowhere and the nine colored lights flew into Serena's body. They would be safe now.   
  
The queen yelled, "WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR? KILL HER!"  
  
The men started shouting and were about to release their attacks on her but her calm voice halted all action and carried over all the noise. "I am the Light of the Universe, the Eimin no Megami! I am Justice and Mercy. TIME FOR JUDGMENT HAS COME!"  
  
A purple shadow spread from her black wings. She watched as the soldiers died before her eyes. She could hear their screams for help as their flesh was burned from the acidity of the purple darkness, followed by the disintegration of their bones. Many were trying to escape, but she stretched her hands forward and shut the doors mentally, locking them in with her. The smell of death invaded her nostrils and she had one person to take care of before she could leave. The so called queen.  
  
--------------  
  
Goku's head snapped as he felt something horrible happening with Serena. He could feel her sadness, which was quickly replaced by anger and then his own dread.  
  
He had taken Goten and Trunks back to CC to sort out what he had just seen and what had made the boys so frantic and scared. Goku used his power that no one knew about, not even the prince himself. He instructed Vegeta on what to do so he could see the vision as well, so Vegeta willingly put his hand on Goku's shoulder. Goku traveled into the mind of his son and found the memory he was looking for.  
----  
After Goku had read Trunks' mind too, Vegeta growled and demanded that they be taken to his sister right away. Goku admitted that he didn't know how to travel between dimensions, but the boys told them that they were able to. Trusting their sons, the two men held onto their hands as they were led into the unknown.   
  
When they opened their eyes, they were met by a sight they did not expect to see. They were in some sort of plane with mists swirling about them in every direction they looked.  
  
"Who dares to trespass on sacred grounds?" a female voice boomed.  
  
"Trista, its us!"  
  
A woman with long green hair appeared in the mists and cautious Vegeta stared at her until the boys ran up to her for a hug. "Hello my young friends. Why are you here?"  
  
Goten spoke up. "We came here to get to Serena. We've never actually transported to another dimension before from our own, we've always done it from here."  
  
"Yeah, our Tenshi's in trouble and we wanted to go and help her!"  
  
"I'm afraid you're too late." Trista replied, ignoring the glare she was getting from a certain Prince.  
  
The boys' faces fell. "What do you mean we're too late?" Goku intervened. His hope had diminished greatly at hearing this woman's words.  
  
"She isn't there anymore. They had been prisoners for a little over a week now, but she had managed to find some way to escape and destroy them."  
  
"And how do you know all this, onna?" Pluto remembered to keep her temper in check.  
  
"I have been watching the mirrors this whole time."  
  
Vegeta was getting furious. "You've been *watching* the whole time and not doing anything about it? That is my sister out there, YOUR Princess! Whom you are supposed to be guarding! If I were her, I'd get myself some new protectors!"  
  
The harshness of Vegeta's words cut into the Senshi of Solitude, but she hid it well, knowing that Serena thought the opposite. She had in fact, ordered Trista to stay behind so that she could be of more help from her all-seeing position.  
  
"Contrary to what you may think, I can actually do more good from here at my post."  
  
Trunks could feel his father's anger building. Luckily, Goten piped in.  
  
"So where is she now?"   
  
Trista smiled warmly at the miniature Goku, forgetting that she was angry. "She is here." Pluto tapped her staff on the ground, which produced a hologram map of Japan. "The Princess is somewhere in the Black Forest..." her voice faded off as she looked at something that no one else could see in the map. "It looks like she has brought someone home with her."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for? Let's find that brat and bring her home." Pluto waved her staff in front of them and a portal appeared for them to travel through, making it easier on the boys. They waved goodbye and were off to Black Forest, Japan in search of a certain loved one.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena had defeated the queen, who had put up quite the fight, and before she left, she searched for and found little Arem and brought her home to the DBZ dimension. Because of her last battle with Queen Sarenia and having used the powers of Saturn, she was extremely weak. Not only that but she had ascended to Super Saiyan, which also was taking its toll on her.   
  
When they had teleported back to the Black Forest, Serena's body had immediately shut down. Wounds had opened again, causing fresh blood to drip down her bodice and over her limbs. Arem had fallen to the ground and Serena stayed suspended in the air, hovering a few feet above her. Her now white wings were wrapped around her body, creating a shield and even though her head was visible, it was being protected as well. Serena was in immense pain from the wounds she had sustained, but gratefully welcomed the peace that only sleep could provide. Serena closed her eyes and finally slept for the first time in what seemed like a long time. 


	20. Death of a Queen

REVIEW THIS TO GET CHAPTER 21 FASTER :) ITS ALREADY WRITTEN, BUT ITS WAITING...  
  
--------------  
  
Serena had defeated the queen, who had put up quite the fight, and before she left, she searched for and found little Arem and brought her home to the DBZ dimension. Because of her last battle with Queen Sarenia and having used the powers of Saturn, she was extremely weak. Not only that but she had ascended to Super Saiyan, which also was taking its toll on her.   
  
When they had teleported back to the Black Forest, Serena's body had immediately shut down. Wounds had opened again, causing fresh blood to drip down her bodice and over her limbs. Arem had fallen to the ground and Serena stayed suspended in the air, hovering a few feet above her. Her now white wings were wrapped around her body, creating a shield and even though her head was visible, it was being protected as well. Serena was in immense pain from the wounds she had sustained, but gratefully welcomed the peace that only sleep could provide. Serena closed her eyes and finally slept for the first time in what seemed like a long time.  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 20: DEATH OF A QUEEN  
  
The four fighters were flying over the Black Forest about 1 mile apart from each other. The two boys flew between their fathers since they were the only ones that could sense Serena. Her ki was so low that for the first 10 miles they flew, they couldn't pick her up anywhere. Goku was starting to get a little nervous but Goten assured his father that she was fine, she was just resting.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena's Dream:  
  
Serena opened her eyes and saw white everywhere she looked. 'Oh, please let me not be dead!'  
  
She heard someone chuckle to the right of her. "My daughter, don't worry, you are just dreaming."  
  
Serena jumped into open arms. "Mother, I've missed you so much." The queen smiled down and squeezed her daughter as hard as she could. Her daughter had grown so much and she had missed her dearly.  
  
After a few moments, the queen pulled away from her daughter. "Come child, there are some things that I must show you."   
  
While the queen made 2 chairs out of the white that was surrounding them, Serena inspected herself. There were no cuts, no bruises and no blood to be seen anywhere on her body. She was simply amazed and wondered how it was possible and for that she turned back to her mother. Queen Serenity waved her hand and some sort of screen popped up. "I am not sure if you remember what happened during the battle you just fought."  
  
Serena tried and realized that her mother was right. She couldn't remember any details about what happened. All she knew is that she won. "Let me first explain something about your make-up. You are full-blooded Lunarian and full-blooded Saiyan."  
  
That confused Serena extremely. "How can I be both?"  
  
Queen Serenity struggled to find a way to answer her. "I am not exactly sure, but I can tell you that you are. You have the genes of the two most powerful entities in the entire existence of time. When you are not battling however, the two kind of split in half, to keep you balanced or at least, that's how I have come to understand it."  
  
Serena only nodded her head.  
  
"The reason you cannot remember much is because you were using a lot of power. Let me show you." The queen waved her hand in front of the screen again and Serena sat and watched.  
  
* FLASHBACK *  
  
Serena sniffed out the evil queen's magic and found her in what looked like an armory room of some sort.  
  
"I see you have found me." The queen stood poised. Serena's black wings were wrapped around her shoulders like a cape.  
  
"I see you ran away." She smirked at the queen's loss of composure.   
  
"You will pay for getting in my way!" The queen shot some lights at Serena, but they didn't affect her in any way.  
  
"So where are you from anyway? I've never heard of you before." Serena knew that if she could get the other woman mad, it would be easier to catch her off guard.  
  
The queen glared at the ill-mannered female in front of her. "I am, or WAS I should say, the Queen of a beautiful planet named Saren, which was named after my great, great grandfather and all the kings of his line. We were a great civilization, a strong one. We conquered planets and formed alliances, but your grandmother, Queen Serenity the First, refused our offer to join her Silver Alliance with my Sarenian Alliance. We could have been the most powerful force in the entire universe but your precious grandmother was still against us, so we did what we always do in that situation. We were about to take over the Silver Alliance, but Queen Serenity used that stupid Silver Crystal of hers and destroyed our armies and my grandfather. I swore that when I could, I would get your family back for what they did to mine, and now I have you." Her evil laughter filled the room and died down again before she spoke.  
  
Little did Serena know that Sarenia had been preparing an attack behind her back.  
  
"DEATH STAR STRIKE!"  
  
A large, black round ball appeared at her fingertips. As she held her position, the ball got larger and larger until it was bigger than her own body. She threw it at the black angel standing across the room and laughed as Serena was thrown to the ground and stayed there after a few seconds, not moving. Sarenia slowly crept up to her foe's body and looked at the pained expression on her face.   
  
"That was easier than I thought." She gasped as a smirk made its way to Serena's mouth.  
  
"Much too easy." Serena said turning her head. She held her hand out and shot a small blast at the other woman's chest. Queen Sarenia staggered backwards until she found a wall to lean against while attempting to heal herself. The black blood stopped dripping from the open wound and the flesh slowly started to close back up.  
  
After the queen made sure that she had recovered, she glared at the Dark Tenshi standing across from her. "How did you manage to survive? That was my strongest attack!"   
  
Serena laughed in her face. "I AM Death, why would it have any effect on me?" Her cockiness brought pictures of her brother to her mind. She was more like Vegeta than she had originally thought.  
  
"But I have on more trick up my sleeve. Care to see it?" With Serena's cockiness still intact, she agreed.   
  
The queen closed her eyes and started to chant words in a language strange to Serena's ear. Even though she had agreed, she was still being cautious and made sure that her magic barrier was still up.  
  
The queen opened her eyes and smiled wickedly. "I hope you like pain." She held her hands, palms facing down and fingers stretched out to Serena. A black shimmering substance filtered out of her fingers and flew to Serena's body. At first she smirked because she felt nothing, but then the overwhelming pain hit full force. Serena crumpled to the ground as she felt her insides struggling to escape her skin.  
  
"Do you like that?" the queen asked cynically. The only response was Serena screaming in agony. Her insides literally felt like they were trying to rip their way out of her skin.  
  
"I know you have the Silver Crystal somewhere and this magic is trying to get it, but I don't understand why you're suffering so much..." Her eyebrows were close together until realization hit.  
  
"You've managed to get that rock inside of you! OH! This is too good!" Her evil smile reappeared on her face as she watched the twisting and moaning of the girl on the floor.  
  
Serena felt like passing out. Since the Imperial Silver Crystal had melded with her every cell, even her brain felt like it was trying to crack its way through her skull. 'What am I supposed to do?'  
  
"Not laughing anymore are we, Princess Serenity?"  
  
Serena was being affected by it because of the physical state she was in. She was currently two magical beings, the Princess, keeper of the crystal, and Sailor Saturn. How to get un-magical?  
  
She forced herself to concentrate on her Saiyan powers. Her wings disappeared and her tail stayed tightly wrapped around her waist. As she felt her anger and hatred burning, her hair flashed from silver to blonde and her eyes changed from silver to green. The pain finally stopped once her transformation did and she was purely Saiyan now. The only trace of her other heritage were the silver streaks that lay in her blonde Super-Saiyan hair.  
  
The queen was shocked for the second time that night. "How is this possible? How in the world are you still ALIVE?"  
  
Serena could feel her strength return to her as she lifted herself from the floor. "It doesn't matter. I seriously doubt you would be able to understand it anyway." Serena started to physically attack Sarenia. Her feet and fists were flying at incredible speeds and the only way that the other woman could withstand her blows was to place magic shields around herself.   
  
After several minutes, Sarenia's strength and resistance began to weaken from the oncoming attacks. Once or twice, she was able to get in a few magical attacks of her own, which hit her target straight on, leaving more gashes and blood as a result.  
  
One of her attacks, she sent out with a smirk. It consisted of several small black stars that flew at Serena with great speed. She tried to blast them but missed a few and they ended up slicing into her delicate skin. The queen smirked, she knew the effects would hit her soon enough. Serena didn't even flinch but proceeded to launch her assault. When she was tired of playing around, she began preparing her final attack.  
  
"KAAAAAA...MEEEEEEE...HAAAAAAAAA...MEEEEEEE...HAAAAAAAA! ! !" The bright ball of light escaped her joined hands and flew towards her target, killing her instantly, but not before she heard the queen's evil laughter one last time.   
  
Serena watched herself walk through the corridors of the hidden castle with the glow of her transformation lighting the way. Even with the anger burning within her, she still could feel compassion for the one person that helped her while she was trapped in this hell hole.  
  
She had come to a couple of rooms that soldiers were occupying and at first sight of her, they tried to attack. She killed them instantly, not feeling any remorse because of her Saiyan mind-set. One of the last dungeons she looked into, she finally found the person she was looking for.  
  
"Arem."  
  
The body didn't respond to her call. Arem was lying on the cold, damp floor of a dungeon, curled up in a ball. She had been beaten, Serena could tell. She kneeled down and picked up the balled figure into her arms and made to leave. In her trail, she had left several moon balls and threw some down the remaining hallway, just to make sure she wouldn't miss anyone. This used up even more of her energy, but she reserved just barely enough to get her back home.   
  
Serena blasted a hole through the mountain and flew into the cold, crisp air. When she flew to what she thought was a safe distance, Serena concentrated on the little glowing presents she left in the passageways. An earth-shattering explosion could be heard for miles around as smoke filled the sky once clear afternoon sky. Over 10 miles of mountain fell from its regal position. Satisfied, she decided it was time to go home.  
  
Serena teleported somewhere in her dimension, but couldn't think straight enough with her lack of energy. She ended up landing in a familiar place in the forest. The female warrior was exhausted when she re-materialized, so she gently laid Arem down on the ground. At this time of the year, for this dimension, she didn't think that covering would be necessary, so she left her in her clothes.   
  
Her Saiyan transformation faded away as the last bit of her energy ran out. Serena's wings appeared at her back, taking the place of her tail. Because of the battle and energy deficiency, her wounds had opened up again, but something else was wrong but she couldn't pin point it. She felt sleep coming on and shivered as a chill ran up her spine. Her wings slowly wrapped around her body to shield her from whatever may come and she looked one last time at her new friend before yielding to the sleep that was most welcomed and most needed.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena watched the screen slowly fade away and turned to her mother, waiting for her to say something. When she said nothing, she decided to ask her mother something instead.  
  
"What happened to my scouts?"  
  
Queen Serenity smiled and said, "They're right here." Serena looked behind her and saw her friends smiling and in perfect physical condition. She leapt from her chair and into her friends' arms. They laughed and cried...they were finally together again.  
  
--------------  
  
Goten sensed something in the distance. Hey Trunks, you feel that?  
  
Yeah, but it feels really weak   
  
Let's check it out!  
  
Last one there is Yajirobe's underwear!  
  
The two demi-Saiyans darted off, leaving their dads behind, neither wanting to be the thing that covered that fat man's cowardly butt. After flying at full speed, Goten motioned for them to go down and they dove into the thicket of the trees and halted when they saw something similar to a huge, white egg.  
  
It's Tenshi!  
  
I know you baka! I can feel her! But who's that other person?  
  
A third voice entered their conversation. Its my friend Arem. Take care of her. I need to sleep now  
  
They both looked at Serena, who's face didn't move an inch. "Okay." By that time, Vegeta and Goku had made it to the boys' location and saw the white egg with a head.  
  
"Is that Serena?" Goku asked.   
  
"Yeah," Trunks answered, "but she's sleeping. She told us to take care of Arem for her."  
  
"What the hell's an RM?"  
  
Trunks shook his head.  
  
"Not R-M, Vegeta. A-R-E-M is this lady here. Tenshi told us to take care of her." Vegeta went on to mumble something about weak onnas and added something else about how he wasn't going to touch it because no one knew where it had been.  
  
"Let's get them back to the infirmary at CC right away. I don't have a good feeling about Serena." Vegeta could sense it as well and willingly obeyed. Goku instructed his son and Trunks to bring Arem over to him and connect themselves with him so he could instant transmission everyone back. Vegeta put his hand on Goku's shoulder and Goku put one of his hands on Serena's wings and the other in his son's hand.  
  
In the blink of an eye, they were standing in the Capsule Corp Infirmary, where each of them had spent a considerable amount of time at one time or another. Bulma rushed to the aid of the fighters, immediately hooking Serena and Arem up to an IV.   
  
After a few hours of watching over Serena, Goku began to drift off. His eyes were closed, but opened immediately when he heard something moving. He looked and Serena was shaking. He tried waking her up but it was to no avail. Her body started convulsing and he yelled for Bulma who was in another part of the house.  
  
"Sam, tell Bulma to get in here right now! Something's wrong with Serena!" Sam relayed the message and Bulma was in a flash.  
  
"What's going on? What happened?"   
  
"I don't know. One minute she was fine and the next thing I knew, she was shaking uncontrollably!"  
  
Bulma ran to a table and picked up something. She ran back to Serena's side and scanned her with some sort of ki reading device.  
  
"She's been poisoned!" To keep her from hurting herself, Bulma injected her with a sedative. "She needs to wake up so we can figure out what happened." Bulma smiled weakly, seeing how much Goku obviously cared for the girl. He had been by her side since they came back, much to Bulma's protests. He refused to leave.  
  
'Please come back, Serena. You're needed more than you know.'  
  
--------------  
  
"Serena, you need to go back."  
  
She turned her head to her mother. "Why?"  
  
Serenity sadly smiled. "Because, you might die. You were infected with something when Sarenia attacked you and they can't find a way to heal your body."  
  
"But I don't want to leave you!" Serena hugged her friends.  
  
"What, do you think we're going to just disappear?" Lita asked.   
  
Serena didn't answer. That was exactly what she was afraid of.  
  
"Yeah right, meatball head! Like you could get rid of us that easily!" Raye made her smile and everyone was grateful for it.   
  
"We promise that we'll be right here for you when you need us." Ami smiled and embraced her friend.  
  
"Don't worry about us!" Venus waved her hand. "Get going woman! Your boyfriend's waiting..."and before another word could be said, Serena whited out.  
  
-------------- 


	21. Body and Soul

--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
"Serena, you need to wake up."  
  
She turned her head to her mother. "Why?"  
  
Serenity sadly smiled. "Because, you might die. You were infected with something when Sarenia attacked you."  
  
"But I don't want to leave you!" Serena hugged her friends goodbye and closed her eyes.   
  
"Don't worry about us!" Venus waved her hand. "Get going woman! Your boyfriend's waiting..."and before another word could be said, Serena whited out.  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 21:  
  
  
Goku's angel was enveloped with pain when her eyes opened up again. They were being burned by the bright lights that were above her head.  
  
  
"AAAAAHHHHHHHH" Her body was screaming out from the damage that had been inflicted on it. She promptly passed out again from the overload of pain, leaving behind a worried Goku and Bulma.  
  
  
"What the hell was that?" Bulma stared at Serena.  
  
  
"She probably woke up and passed out from the pain. Do you have any pain killers?" Goku asked after feeling a prick at his heart.  
  
  
Bulma laughed. "Do I have any pain-killers? What kind of a question is that?" She walked to the North wall and commanded Sam, "Sam, open the medicine cabinet."  
  
  
Sam quickly obeyed and an invisible door slid open, revealing many bottles. They were all arranged on several shelves and each bottle contained a different colored liquid. After searching for a few seconds, the blue-haired woman's eyes landed on one. "This one will do."  
  
  
She opened a drawer and extracted a needle before telling Sam to close it again. She stuck the needle through the cork at the top of the bottle and drew liquid from it. By the time she made it back, Serena was shaking again. She quickly instructed Goku to hold her down while she injected the yellow liquid into Serena's left arm.  
  
  
Serena calmed down and fell into a fitful sleep again. After a half hour's worth of attempts, Serena woke up with a migraine. She tried sitting up but found that she couldn't move any part of her body.  
  
  
"What happened?" Her vision was still a bit blurry from the pain but it slowly cleared, allowing her to see the man she had missed the most.  
  
  
"That's what I want to know," Goku said tiredly. "Serena, Bulma has reason to believe that you were poisoned during your battle. I don't think you were aware of it but I want to check your memories to see what happened."  
  
  
She nodded her head, still not comprehending what he was talking about. Nausea crept up her throat, but she quickly suppressed the urge to relieve her stomach.   
  
  
Goku put his hand to her forehead and closed his eyes. Several pictures flashed across his mind, pictures of 8 lights flying in the air, a dark-winged woman standing among an army of men; he saw light-blue mushrooms and another woman, whom he assumed to be the enemy. The dark-winged woman turned into a beautiful female Saiyan and quickly attacked the other woman. Things slowed down for him when he came to the part where black stars were flying at her. About 5 of them skimmed her arms and that's when he felt a stinging and realized that's when she was poisoned.  
  
  
He let go of her head and leaned back, panting heavily. Searching people's memories was a strenuous task for someone who didn't do it on a regular basis. When Goku was able, he told Bulma that it was a magic-based poison and he didn't know how they would heal it. She had lost too much energy and she wasn't able to eat any senzu beans because she was unconscious. He didn't want to force any down her throat, afraid that she might end up choking.   
  
  
The man rarely got stressed out and this definitely counted as one of those times. He paced the floor trying to think of someway that he could heal her. Bulma was sitting down, silently racking her brain for ideas.   
  
  
"Hey, Goku. What about the dragon balls? Can't we just use them to heal her?"  
  
  
He thought about it and quickly dismissed the idea. "No, I wouldn't be able to get them fast enough."  
  
  
"I'm sure with Vegeta helping you, you might..."  
  
  
"I said no!" Goku barked. Bulma stepped back, distancing herself from one of her best friends.  
  
  
Goku saw what she was doing and immediately felt sorry for his actions. "Bulma, I'm sorry. I don't know what's come over me this last week. Please forgive me."  
  
  
Bulma sighed in relief, walking over to Goku and giving him a light hug. "It's okay. I know how it feels to not be able to do anything for someone you care about." Goku sat back down on the cot next to Serena's table. He took a moment to glance at the stranger that his son had called Arem. Where had she come from and how did Serena know her? Too many questions were plaguing his mind.  
  
  
"I'm going to get something to eat. I'll be back later." He left the infirmary and headed towards the kitchen in search of substance.  
  
  
Bulma watched Goku leave and then headed towards Arem. 'I wonder where Serena picked her up?' Bulma decided that since Arem was clearly out cold, she would examine her closer, to see if there were any underlying problems of why she was still unconscious.  
  
  
She grabbed her scanner on the workbench and slowly waved it over Arem's body. "Let's see what's wrong with you, shall we?" She couldn't find anything wrong with her that way that would have kept her unconscious for that long. Bulma lifted the rag that was being used as a shirt and gasped. There were bruises and small cuts covering her body. The girl was merely a skeleton, but the rags she had been wearing had hid that fact from everyone. Tears clouded her eyes as she tried to think of what she was supposed to do.  
  
  
Remembering, she quickly ran to another side of the infirmary and ordered Sam to open another closet for her. "Pull up the vitamin capsules." Bulma was not only a technological genius, but a medical genius as well. In her years of studying, she had devised a capsule that could regulate food or nourishment to people who didn't have enough.   
  
  
When Bulma was on her sabbatical, a long time before she met her prince, she was working with people who were extremely poor and incredibly malnourished. When she would bring out her capsules with tons of food, they would make a mad rush and end up throwing up whatever they tried to satisfy their hunger with. Their stomachs weren't used to all of it and wasn't able to hold it.   
  
  
The capsules contained all the vitamins a person needed to be brought back to 'regular' and would regulate different amounts according to what stage they were at. It was a capsule within a capsule. Most of the things would fill an entire room so she had put it into another capsule which was smaller than most so it could fit comfortably in a person's body. Her invention had saved millions of people since then and continued to be the best product out there.   
  
  
Bulma had done a quick little surgery to insert the capsule within Arem's stomach. She squeezed the ends of the capsule together and what looked like little legs popped out. It attached itself to the inside of Arem's stomach and would stay there until its purpose was fulfilled. Bulma quickly sewed her back up and called a robot to transfer her to another bed for recovery.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Vegeta was sitting at the table, eating his dinner quietly.  
  
  
"Where are the boys?" Goku asked, waiting for Vegeta to swallow his food.  
  
  
"They're sleeping."  
  
  
"Oh." Goku went to the big food-dispenser and ordered his large meal. When Vegeta finished he sat at the table, thinking about the situation going on in his home. His brat had visions along with Kakkarot's, his sister was lying in the infirmary and some strange woman was lying next to her.   
  
  
Goku quickly ate his food, eagerly wanting to get back to Serena's side. Bulma's suggestion crept back into his mind. "Vegeta, will you help me find the dragonballs?"  
  
  
Vegeta sent a questioning look in his direction. "Now's not the time to play, Kakkarot. My sister's nearly dying in that room..."  
  
  
"I know! It was your mate's idea to go and search for them. I don't know if we'll have enough time. Her situation isn't getting any better, yet I can't feed her a senzu bean because she's unconscious again! Its all we can come up with."  
  
  
Goku paused when he heard footsteps coming down the stairs.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
'Where am I?' Serena asked herself. She sat up and looked around. She had the funniest feeling as she hopped off the bed in which she had been lying. When she looked around she nearly got sick at what she saw. Her body was still lying on the table...without her!  
  
  
'Oh, Selene! What happened?' Doing her best to keep calm, she tried to think of what to do. She watched from a distance as Bulma came near her to change her bandages. She could see Bulma's mouth moving but couldn't hear anything coming out of her mouth.  
  
  
"Bulma!! BULMA!" No matter how loud she screamed, the woman was deaf to her calls. She moved to a corner and slowly sat down, crying as she tried to figure out whether or not she was dead. She decided that she wasn't because she would be with her mother if she was, or up on that snake way that she heard the boys tell her about.  
  
  
'THAT'S IT! THE BOYS!' Serena concentrated her hardest to communicate with the boys. She reached out for them and found them sleeping. 'Oh good, I can get them easier when they're sleeping.'  
  
  
Closing her eyes and concentrating on her inner power, she reached out for the two boys' minds.   
  
  
My little prince and my little dreamer. I need your help A scene appeared in front of her showing her a large field. Picnic blankets with mounds of food heaped on them were scattered all around the grassy knoll. She saw two little figures running to the biggest one.  
  
  
"Whoa! Trunks! How are you in my dream?" Goten was in awe. This had never happened before.  
  
  
"In YOUR dream? You're in MY dream!"  
  
  
"Not even! That's it! Its on now!" Goten got in a fighting stance and Trunks mirrored him. They were about to lunge at each other until they heard a familiar voice.  
  
  
"Boys! Can you hear me?" Both turned their heads and saw the person they had missed enormously.  
  
  
"Of course we can hear you, Tenshi!" They ran up to her and she cried with joy. It had worked after all and now she was here hugging her two little boys.  
  
  
After their excitement died down a bit, she started speaking again. "I have come to ask you a big favor. I need you to help me. You see, my body is still sleeping and I can't wake it up myself. I need you guys to help me with the silver power that is in you."  
  
  
"But you're right here!" Trunks was very confused.  
  
  
"Yes, but this is only my spirit. My body is in the infirmary right now and I need your help."  
  
  
The boys still didn't understand and thought this was just another game. "Okay! Lead the way Tenshi!" Goten and Trunks followed behind Serena who was leading them through the picnic blanket maze and down a trail of rocks, which led them to a road.   
  
  
Serena led the boys through the hall, down the stairs and towards the infirmary. They had to pass the kitchen, which meant they had to pass by their fathers. She saw the two men and longed to hold one of them, but couldn't without her body, which was slowly dying. She could feel it in her, she could see herself starting to get more transparent.  
  
  
"This way boys!" she called. They turned and followed her, not bumping into a single piece of furniture.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Vegeta saw his son following Goten into the dining room. "Why is my brat following your brat and where are they going?"   
  
  
Goku was looking at them and saw that their eyes were still closed. "I don't know, but they seem to be sleepwalking." He noticed that Vegeta was about ready to yell at Trunks but he put a hand forward to stop him. "We're not supposed to wake sleep walkers. Its supposedly dangerous."  
  
  
Vegeta looked at the other man. "Dangerous? I'll tell you what's dangerous. Fighting the enemy...that's dangerous, mating...that's dangerous, waking sleepwalking brats...not dangerous. Just watch." Vegeta yelled for his son but received no answer. After he yelled a second time and still got no answer, his temper grew.  
  
  
He stopped when he noticed something he hadn't before. They were heading to the infirmary and were glowing. "Kakkarot...why are our brats silver?"  
  
  
Goku noticed it too and just watched to see what would happen. When the boys got to the door, Goten ran into it and Trunks ran into him. 'What's going on?'  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
"Ow, Goten! Why'd you stop?" Trunks asked while rubbing his forehead.   
  
  
"I didn't stop. Something's in the way!" He tried to walk forward again and still didn't make it past the brick wall. They could see the through it, which they thought was weird, but couldn't walk through it like their tenshi had done. Serena quickly saw her mistake and turned to them.   
  
  
"Pretend you're invisible...try thinking about being able to walk through walls."  
  
  
The boys shrugged their shoulders and tried it again. They didn't get stopped this time, so they kept walking and soon found themselves on the other side.   
  
  
"Look, Trunks!" Trunks looked and saw his tenshi on the bed.   
  
  
"What's your body doing there?"   
  
  
Serena smiled and said, "I want you to practice healing again. Go ahead and transform first." The boys obeyed and turned into Super Saiyans. "Put your hands on my body and concentrate. If you concentrate hard enough, you can feel the darkness that's in it. Concentrate on pushing it out with your light."  
  
  
The boys had never done that before so they complied, thinking it was another training game. A few minutes later, after Serena had felt the poison leave her body, she instructed the boys to go ahead and heal her just a little more so the bleeding would stop. They did exactly that.   
  
  
"Thank you boys." She bent over and pulled them close to her, planting a kiss on their cheeks.   
  
  
"I'm tired now." Goten stretched his arms out, hitting Trunks in the process. Trunks just glared.  
  
  
"I would think so! You used a lot of energy just now. Do you see those beds over there?" They looked and about 10 feet away they saw 2 empty beds. "You guys can go and rest there now." They nodded their heads and walked to the beds and immediately fell asleep in them once they crawled in.  
  
  
Serena felt herself being sucked back into her body. Once she opened her eyes, she shot up, gasping for air.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Goku and Vegeta couldn't figure out why the boys were downstairs. They didn't ever wake up for anything and now they were running into walls. After what was the second try, they watched wide-eyed as the boys passed right through the door that led to the infirmary.  
  
  
"Did you just see that?" Goku asked, shocked by what he had just seen. What strange thing was going on in this house?  
  
  
Without saying a word, the two men stood up from their seats and walked to the door. Vegeta pressed his pointer finger to the door and walked through with Goku following. Bulma was sleeping with her head on the desk so she didn't notice the two little intruders.  
  
  
"What do they think they're doing?"  
  
  
Goku and Vegeta sat back and watched the boys walk over to Serena's body. They powered up and their golden aura mixed with a silver one, from where, they didn't know. Goten and Trunks put their hands on Serena's cloth covered body and began to transfer some kind of energy to her. They came closer to see exactly what was going on.   
  
  
Goku could smell the infection leaving her body and was amazed at what the boys were doing.   
  
  
'Where did they learn how to do that?' Little did he know, Vegeta was thinking the same thing.  
  
  
'How do they know how to do that? They aren't even awake!'  
  
  
Goku glanced over at Bulma who was still sleeping at the desk. He walked to where Serena's head was so he could watch what the two boys doing. He didn't like the idea of them being close to her, but they had rid her body of the poison that was detected in her earlier. Now they were watching some of her more major wounds heal a little. Suddenly the boys stopped and their heads popped up and faced the back of the room. Vegeta and Goku followed their gazes and only saw two empty beds. They looked back at the boys and saw them de-transform and stand still as if they were waiting to do something. Suddenly the boys stopped and their heads jerked up, slowly turning to face the back of the room.  
They walked to the beds, once again with their eyes closed, without bumping into anything and climbed in and lay down.   
  
  
Serena shot up from her bed, gasping for air. She looked around and tried to focus her eyes to the bright light of the room. She saw Arem next to her and the boys off in the beds in the corner and turning a little more, she saw her brother and Goku.  
  
  
"What was that all about, onna!" Vegeta growled at her. She didn't say a word, but instead inspected herself, making sure that all her major wounds were in fact not bleeding profusely.   
  
  
"I'll tell you later. Right now, I want to go back to sleep."  
  
  
Goku growled. "You're not going back to sleep until we check you and make sure that you're okay."  
  
  
Serena was tired and was losing her patience with that man. "Goku, I assure you that I'm fine! You're a Saiyan! You should have been able to smell when my blood was cleansed." Serena did her best to hold her temper in check because she knew it was because she was so tired and had just battled that she was a bit irritable.  
  
  
Vegeta found this the perfect time to collect his mate, leaving Goku behind to deal with his sister.  
  
  
Goku didn't say a word, but watched her make her way to the bed where his son was resting. She was about to climb in next to him when he had a wicked idea. Serena lifted herself onto the bed but then was hoisted into the air not even a second later. She turned her head to see what happened and there was Goku, smiling down at her.  
  
  
"Goku! What are you doing!"  
  
  
"I'm taking you to get some rest!" Serena tried to wiggle her way out of his arms causing his grip to tighten.  
  
  
"Put me down this instant!" she attempted to order him in her regal tone, but it did nothing.  
  
  
"No." Serena glared at him and when her eyes met his, she saw that same look she had caught on his face in the gravity room the day she left. All thoughts except those of him, left her head as a heady feeling washed over her. Her cheeks grew warm as memories came back of what they were doing that Saturday. She didn't even notice that they had left the infirmary until she was gently placed on a bed.   
  
  
"What? How'd we get here?" Serena looked at her surroundings. The whole room smelled like Goku, which warmed her body and thoughts immediately.   
  
  
"You're staying here until I feel you've healed all the way."  
  
  
Serena could feel herself getting angry again. How dare he order her around! "What? Am I your prisoner now? You can't just keep me here forever!"   
  
  
An impish grin fell upon his edible lips. "Yes I can." His tail waved lightly behind him and a strong musky scent mixed with the smell of the forest wafted through the air. Serena began to feel a little dizzy and could feel her body craving something.  
  
  
Little did she know that after she had left, Goku had a fit and almost destroyed her lab. In the middle of it his tantrum, he picked up a book to throw and was about to, but the symbols on the cover caught his attention. They looked oddly familiar.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
* FLASHBACK *  
  
  
Goku stared long and hard at the lettering on the front of the book. He could feel himself trying to remember something, but couldn't. Something was struggling to be set free in the back of his mind.   
  
  
???  
  
  
It had been a good 10 minutes that he had been staring at cover. It was made out of a thick type of leather with those funny looking symbols branded on it and it was bound together with something that resembled twine. He gently opened the cover of the ancient looking book and found symbols similar to the ones on the front. Goku didn't know what was going on but he watched as the lines on the page rearranged themselves to look like something he could read...  
  
  
After the first 3 hours of silent reading, Goku had learned about Saiyan culture and history. There was even a lineage of the royalty and the advisors that had accompanied them at the throne. The last page of the line of royalty caught him off guard. This king had 2 mates. King Vegeta's first mate had been of the House of Xioles.  
  
  
  
King Vegeta XXX  
  
Mate: Xeles, House of Xioles  
  
Status: Class 1; Female Elite-General of Vegeta-sei Planet Defense.  
  
Specie: Saiyan   
  
Location: 2nd Quadrant of Vegeta-sei  
  
Brat: Vegeta XXXI  
  
  
  
Chancellor: Bardock, House of Bardock  
  
Status: Class 1; 1st title - Advisor; 2nd title - Royal Bodyguard  
  
Unit Status: Guards of Royal Family  
  
Mate: Kulei, House of Ademai  
  
Status: Lieutenant General of Vegeta-sei Planet Defense, Royal Guard of Queen Xeles  
  
Brat: Kakkarot  
  
Status: Royal Guard of Prince Vegeta XXXI  
  
  
Goku laughed at how even when labeling off-spring in records, they were still called 'brats'. The next part was handwritten in. This was the first time in Vegeta-sei's history that he had seen this happen.  
  
  
King Vegeta XXX  
  
2nd Mate: Queen Serenity V, House of Serenity  
  
Status: Queen of moon, current ruler of Silver Alliance  
  
Specie: Lunarian  
  
Location: Chikyuu's Moon in the X20Y-pr^2 galaxy.  
  
Brat: Serenity VI  
  
  
Lunarian Court: 2 Separate units. Inner-Planetary & Outer-Planetary Senshi  
  
Status: Princesses of Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune, and Pluto  
  
Location of Inner Senshi: Inner-Planetary Senshi - Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter on Moon  
  
Location of Outer Senshi: unknown  
  
  
It went on to describe more about the wars and destruction that took place during the reign of King Vegeta XXX and Queen Serenity V. The genealogy ended there with those last two rulers.  
  
  
After soaking in information about the final battles with Frieza and Queen Beryl, Goku sat and thought. He was too intrigued with what he had been reading to stop. He felt his stomach complaining and decided that he would finish the book after he had lunch. With curiosity calling his name, he turned the page to see what he would be reading about next.  
  
  
Saiyan Anatomy  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Serena couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. When he first put her on the bed, she was fine, but now she was feeling dizzy and her heart began to race. His coal black eyes were burning into hers and then she realized what it was she was feeling.  
  
  
Desire.  
  
  
It was hitting her in waves as Goku neared her weakened body. She tried to resist him at first by turning her head when he came in to kiss her. Goku ended up kissing her cheek, not what he was aiming for. He pinned her to the bed, her wrists being held with one of his hands and the other pressing on her stomach.  
  
  
She could smell him even stronger now and it was doing wicked things to her insides. She watched him as he neared her once again. "You are mine."  
  
  
Serena let out a squeak of surprise when he mad rushed her lips. His kisses were gentle at first, but Serena could detect the ferocity that was building inside of him as well as herself. They became more and more urgent, more demanding. He placed butterfly kisses around her heart-shaped face, her closed eye-lids and around the nape of her neck. When he came back to her lips, she didn't respond. He pulled away dazed, wondering what had happened. Goku watched her face and listened closely to hear that her breathing had returned to normal.  
  
  
She was sleeping. 


	22. Beginnings of a Friendship

Hopefully chapter 23 will be out by this weekend at the earliest *winces*. I have a million Christmas Choir Concerts this week and my mom is coming into town so I'll be spending majority of my time with her! I wrote it extra long lol.  
  
Enjoy!  
  
Echo Hunter  
  
--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
Serena couldn't figure out what was wrong with her. When he first put her on the bed, she was fine, but now she was feeling dizzy and her heart began to race. His coal black eyes were burning into hers and then she realized what it was she was feeling.  
  
Desire.  
  
It was hitting her in waves as Goku neared her weakened body. She tried to resist him at first by turning her head when he came in to kiss her. Goku ended up kissing her cheek, not what he was aiming for. He pinned her to the bed, her wrists being held with one of his hands and the other pressing on her stomach.  
  
She could smell him even stronger now and it was doing wicked things to her insides. She watched him as he neared her once again. "You are mine."  
  
Serena let out a squeak of surprise when he mad rushed her lips. His kisses were gentle at first, but Serena could detect the ferocity that was building inside of him as well as herself. They became more and more urgent, more demanding. He placed butterfly kisses around her heart-shaped face, her closed eye-lids and around the nape of her neck. When he came back to her lips, she didn't respond. He pulled away dazed, wondering what had happened. Goku watched her face and listened closely to hear that her breathing had returned to normal.  
  
She was sleeping.  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 22: BEGINNINGS OF A FRIENDSHIP  
  
  
  
He couldn't believe it! How could she have fallen asleep on him! After he calmed down a bit, Goku flared his ki to let Vegeta know that Serena was with him. He took of his shirt and pants, leaving only his boxers to sleep in. He pulled a blanket out of the closet and lay it on the floor next to his king-sized bed where he slept that night.  
  
--------------  
  
Bulma and Vegeta walked back in to check on her two patients and the boys. Bulma began to panic when she didn't see Serena where she had left her.  
  
"Vegeta! Find her now!" At that exact moment, Vegeta felt Goku's ki flare and he traced it to find him in his house with Serena.  
  
"She's fine, onna. Kakkarot is taking care of her." Bulma thought it a little awkward that Goku had her in her condition, but if the over-protective prince was okay with it, there was no need for her to worry was there?  
  
"Vegeta, can you carry Arem upstairs please? I want to put her in the room across from ours so that I can keep an eye on her. I don't want her to wake up in here."  
  
"What about the brats?" Vegeta looked at the boys sleeping peacefully. He remembered how when he was little, in this life, he had never experienced a peaceful sleep, one without worry. He softly smiled, proud that he was able to give his son conveniences that he didn't have at that age.  
  
"I guess we should wake them up. I don't want them damaging anything in here."   
  
Vegeta smirked. "Lets see exactly how well trained these boys are!" Before Bulma gathered the full meaning of his words, the prince had shot a small ki blast at Goten, only because he was the closest.   
  
It zipped across the room and was just about to hit the sleeping boy but a hand shot up and caught it. Goten caught the ball of energy and pulled it down to his mouth. To Vegeta's surprise, he ate it! Vegeta sweat dropped.   
  
Bulma overheard her husband muttering something about how it should be illegal for Kakkarot to spread his stupid genes. Well, that didn't work so Vegeta shot another small blast at his son. This time he liked what he saw. Trunks back handed the shot in his sleep, causing it to hit Goten.  
  
Goten coughed after the ball exploded on his chest and then unconsciously pointed his finger at Trunks' back. He singed the shirt of the sleeping demi-Saiyan next to him and Vegeta and Bulma couldn't hold their amusement in. Their guffaws filled the room, waking the two burnt boys, who stared at the grown-ups.  
  
"What's going on?" Goten rubbed his sleepy eyes while Trunks yawned.  
  
Vegeta smirked at the boys. "Let's go. Get in your beds."  
  
The two boys floated to Trunks' room while Bulma and Vegeta walked towards theirs but went to the one across from it. Bulma opened the door and her husband walked in and gently deposited Arem on the bed. She walked up and tucked the blankets securely around the other woman and stopped at the door.   
  
Looking back she said, "Sam, wake me if she gets out of this bed. Scan her and set up a ki block, I want her to stay in this room. She doesn't leave unless by my voice command or Vegeta's voice command. Is that clear?"  
  
"As you wish, Highness." Bulma and her mate stayed until the ki scan was finished, which took no longer than a minute and turned off the lights.   
  
Vegeta wrapped his strong arms around his mate and whispered in her ear. "Time for bed, onna." Bulma smiled and kissed her husband's cheek before he lifted her princess style and carried her into their room.  
  
--------------  
  
TIME GATES...  
  
"Shall we tell her now, your Majesty?" Pluto looked at the weary deceased queen, who stood beside her, looking through a mirror.   
  
"No. The Gods will grant her peace for a little while. Let her have it. She needs to rest before the final battle occurs."  
  
Pluto nodded her head. "But for how long."  
  
"For as long as I feel necessary. They will not allow anything to disturb her peace, as long as I wish it. I know my daughter needs to rest and recuperate for a while."  
  
--------------  
  
  
GOKU'S ROOM  
  
Goku was snoring away. His boxer clad body rolled onto his left side, hugging the pillow to his head. He didn't even notice that he was on the floor or that the woman in his bed was twisting and turning because of a nightmare.  
  
Goku woke up when he heard screaming.   
  
"Stop! Please stop!" Tears were crawling down her cheeks, splashing on the pillow before soaking into them. "Leave them alone...NOOOOO!" A blood curdling scream erupted from her lips and her eyes opened when she felt a pair of familiar arms wrap around her.  
  
It was Goku.  
  
Serena looked at him and cried harder. Goku had no clue what was going on, but knew that she needed to be held. He pulled her body into his lap and rocked her back and forth. She held on tightly as if it would stop her from drowning in the sea of nightmares she had been having. As he stroked her hair with his large fingers, he whispered words of comfort into her ear to soothe her. Goku sadly pulled away from her and went to lay her down on the bed again once he felt her relax. He tucked the blanket around her body and scooted to the end of the bed so he could make it to his pillow on the floor.  
  
"Goku." He turned around and looked at her shadowed face. Her hand reached out to him and with glistening eyes begging him for something. "Please don't leave me alone."  
  
He stood and lifted the blanket to allow himself into the warmth it would provide. As soon as he lay down next to her, she curled to his body, signaling that she wanted, needed to be held. He all too willingly complied and wrapped his arm around her back, bringing her closer still. His warm, musky, woodsy scent penetrated her sense and calmed her even more. She let out a sigh of relief and fell quickly asleep. Goku lay there for a few minutes wondering how he had gotten so lucky and drifted off into a fitful sleep as well.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena remembered feeling warm and safe when she first woke up. It was a feeling that she hadn't experienced in a very long time so she just lay there. As the sun peeked through the curtained window, she dared to open her eyes. She was awake and still felt safe and warm. Her dream was a rather vivid one. Her cheeks were painted pink as she remembered what *exactly* it was she dreamt about. The best part of the dream, she would admit, was that Goku was in it.   
  
Serena tried to sit up but something clamped around her and pulled her back down. She started to panic, thinking it was some trick of the enemy and they had caught her again. She turned her head to see what was holding her and relaxed when she saw the face of the man she loved. A threatening growl escaped his throat and once again, she was pulled towards his warm body. Her back was pressed up against his bare, well-muscled chest and she could feel a vibration emitting from it. As she listened closer, she could hear a purr.   
  
Goku was dreaming that him and Serena were in a battle field. She was trying to escape his grip to help someone but he wouldn't let her go. Vegeta was already out there and destroyed the enemy, while he lay on the ground, protecting her from flying debris.   
  
"See, we're safe now." He pulled her closer to him and wrapped one arm around her stomach and the other over the top of her shoulder and over her chest. His tail wrapped around one of her thighs and stayed there, unwilling to budge. He was happy to see that she stopped trying to struggle and just lay there with him.  
  
Serena couldn't figure out what was going on with him and how he growled louder every time she tried to move away from him so she gave up. After 10 minutes of lying there, she decided that going to sleep was the only thing she could do, so she did.  
  
--------------  
  
Gohan had been meditating all morning long. He had been having conflicting feelings about the woman that had taken over his dad's life. He thought he liked her at first because he knew how fond his little brother was of her, but now he was beginning to doubt his feelings.  
  
Gohan unfolded himself and went in search of his younger brother. He found Goten and Trunks inside CC playing Nintendo.  
  
"What are you guys doing? Aren't you supposed to be sparring right now?" Both boys shook their heads, keeping their concentration on the game at hand.  
  
"How did you convince Bulma to let you two play?"  
  
"I just told Aunt Bulma that it would help with our hand-eye coordination!" Goten smiled proudly as he continued his war against Trunks' virtual character.  
  
"I still don't understand why she said yes." Gohan muttered, not able to believe his little brother had conned his surrogate aunt into letting them out of training.  
  
The purple-haired prince answered, "Mom was working on something that dad blew up while training. It wasn't hard." Trunks snickered at the memory of his mom being so easy to convince.  
  
"Yeah! We should convince Vegeta to train more often!" The boys laughed and then Trunks reached out and punched Goten in the arm.   
  
"What'd you do that for?!" Goten rubbed his arm furiously.  
  
"You killed me!"  
  
"Duh! That's what I'm supposed to do!" Goten punched him back.  
  
"That's enough! You two outside now before Bulma comes in here and grounds you both!"  
  
With heads bowed low, both boys dropped their controllers and floated out the living room window.  
  
"Sam, put away the Nintendo please." The Nintendo and TV were drawn back into the wall and white wall slid over the hole that was once there.  
  
Gohan flew out of the house to where Trunks and Goten were waiting patiently. "Goten, I need to talk to you." Goten followed his older brother into the forest where they could have some privacy. They found a little pond and decided that it would be the perfect place to talk.  
  
"What's up bro?"  
  
For Gohan, this was a lot harder than he had originally thought. He realized how much Goten admired Serena and it made it more difficult now that he had to word his question carefully.  
  
"Goten, are you worried?"  
  
The little boy wrinkled his nose. "Worried about what, Gohan?"  
  
"Well, I'm kinda worried about Serena."  
  
Goten jumped up. "Why? What's happened to her? Is she okay?"  
  
"Shh, she's fine. Dad's taking care of her right now." Gohan waved his hand.  
  
"Well then, what did you mean worried?"  
  
How was he going to ask this? Straight forward. "What I mean is...well, I'm a little worried about dad and Serena." He waited to see if his brother understood that question.   
  
Nope.  
  
"Um, I thought you said that dad was taking care of Serena."  
  
"He is. Ugh, what I mean is I'm worried about dad and Serena liking each other." Little Goten understood now what his brother was getting at.  
  
"Oh! No I'm not worried about them!"  
  
"Why not?! Aren't you afraid that Serena is going to take mom's place?"  
  
Goten just shook his head. Now he knew why he had been dragged into the forest. "No." He stood straight up as if declaring something to the world. "She is the tenshi that I prayed for since mom died. Dad was really lonely but you didn't know that because you were always off with Mirai after mom left. Mom once told me that if I prayed for something good, from my heart, it would come true. I wished for a tenshi to come to make dad happy again. Dad has been the happiest he's been in a long time."  
  
To say that Gohan was shocked is an understatement. He didn't know that some of Serena's "light" had caused the random sparks of wisdom his brother showed every once in a while.  
  
"She's not here to replace mom. In fact, mom came to me one night, back when Serena was captured, and told me that she had talked to Serena's mom and asked her if she could come and live with us. Mom BROUGHT her for dad."  
  
Gohan felt so alone and guilty. He hadn't been home to support his family during their time of mourning. He ran off with Mirai instead, away from his family and away from his feelings. Goten sensed his sadness and floated over to him, tackling him to the ground with a hug. A warm glow emitted from his little body and engulfed Gohan, making him feel warm and loved.  
  
The two boys spent the rest of the day renewing their friendship and caught up on all the time that had been spent apart.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena woke up to a sun-filled room. She turned her head to the window and saw sunbeams lighting the room through the Venetian blinds at the window. A spot of white caught her eye. She turned her head a little more to find a vase of white lilies on the bedside table. A warm smile lit her face and the sounds of metal things banging and clanging downstairs widened her smile. She brushed the hair out of her face and stayed facing the window when she heard footsteps heading towards the room.  
  
The door creaked as it slowly opened and in walked a tall, half-naked Saiyan carrying a large tray of food.  
  
"Are you awake?"  
  
"No."  
  
"Oh, sorry." Goku *almost* turned around and then realized she was just joking.   
  
Serena laughed while rolling over to face him and hearing it filled Goku's heart. "You are too cute."  
  
"Thanks...I think." He set the tray down on the table next to the side of the bed he slept on and sat down next to her. He leaned over and kissed her good morning and she responded rather eagerly before all romantic thoughts were put on pause when a loud rumble filled the room.  
  
Goku quickly pulled away. "What in Kami's name was that?"  
  
Serena smiled sheepishly as she pointed to her stomach. "I think it's alive and looking for food now."  
  
Goku kissed her on the lips one more time before lifting her up to a sitting position. "I brought you some food. I thought with the Saiyan in you, you might be a little hungry."  
  
Serena laughed. "My stomach's been like this since before my Saiyan blood was restored. It's all Lunarian, I assure you." Serena almost asked if he had remembered the banquets that they had on the moon, but she knew he couldn't from an earlier experience.   
  
Goku grabbed the tray and fed her its contents. When she finished everything he made, he carried the tray downstairs and Serena fell asleep once again in the nice, soft bed. She felt incredibly weak, very un-normal for one with her strength and abilities. She was once again sucked into the dream world.  
  
--------------  
  
Vegeta was in the training room and could feel something going on with his sister. Her ki was a little low, but she hadn't recovered all the way, so he shook off the feeling.  
  
Bulma was in her lab again. She was working on a special project for her mate's birthday, which that she had been struggling to keep a secret. Serena had helped her with it before she left for the other dimension and even before she started working on Vegeta's gravity machine. Bulma was so grateful for her though. The stupid machine hadn't been destroyed yet! Whatever Serena had done to it had kept it together was truly a miracle.  
  
Bulma told Sam to project the blue prints of "Project RT" on the wall and sure enough the lights that shone on the wall were turned off and the blue prints appeared in their place. The genius got to work immediately. She knew that as long as she didn't act out of the ordinary around Vegeta, he would never know she was up to something.  
  
--------------  
  
Another three days and nights had gone by and Serena still wasn't getting any better. She was still too weak to move out of bed by herself so Goku started transporting her downstairs during the day so she wouldn't be trapped in the room all day long. She fell more and more in love with the gentle fighter who had been taking care of her so. He started taking her to be with Bulma during the day so she could at least give her mind some exercise.   
  
Serena still slept in the bed with him because he refused to let her sleep anywhere else. She grew accustomed to it, not really being able to deny the man his bed and too weak to put up a good fight. She felt too guilty about him sleeping on the floor but felt too good in his arms to let him sleep anywhere else. Decisions, decisions.  
  
'Why am I not getting better?' Serena was soon asleep again.  
  
  
* SERENA'S DREAM *  
  
  
Serena was once again with her mother. "What's going on mother? Why am I not healing any faster than I am? Is something wrong with me?"  
  
Serena's mother smiled at her. "My love. You aren't healing as fast because keeping the girls and Darien in you is draining most of your energy. It's kind of like having 8 babies at one time. Any energy and nourishment that they need to heal themselves from the last battle, they are getting from you. Their wounds are healing just as slow as yours are because your energy is being slowly divided between all 9 of you. Normally, one would keep their friends inside the crystal, where they can feed off its everlasting power, but the crystal *is* you now."  
  
"Well, how do I get them out?"  
  
"I'm afraid you can't until all of you are healed. There is no way for you to transfer all the energy from them to you because they wouldn't have enough sufficient energy to keep them alive. They're going to have to stay in you until you find some other solution. The senzu beans will not have any positive effect. You will just have to wait until all of you are properly healed."  
  
Serena thought a bit more. "Mother, do you think there would be a way for me to concentrate most of the healing to 2 people, myself and someone else so that I can bring them back faster and one at a time."  
  
Queen Serenity looked at her daughter and thought hard. "I'm not sure. You will need to talk to the crystal in meditation about that. I'm sure you could also address the Book of Light. It might have the solution to your problem."  
  
A quote from the Book of Light flashed in her mind and then quickly disappeared before anything could be made of it. Serena knew she would find the answer in that book. She called for it while she was in her dream world and read.   
  
Turning to page 31, 2nd paragraph, she found what she had almost remembered earlier.  
  
* * Through Pure Love and through the Light of the Universe, are all things made possible * *  
  
Serena wished the book away and stood still. As she concentrated, her wings stretched out behind her. They slowly wrapped around her body, encasing her in white, and she began to levitate off the ground.  
  
Oh Goddess Selene, hear my plea. I am not strong enough to make myself and my guardians heal quickly. Carrying so many inside me is draining me of the energy I need to live. I wish to concentrate 60% of the energy I gain on my body and on one other.  
  
Who do you wish to heal first? the crystal replied.  
  
Not letting herself be distracted by the voice of the crystal, Serena thought hard about who she wanted first. It would be wise to bring the one that would require the most life energy, one who wasn't as badly damaged and wouldn't take as long.  
  
Jupiter  
  
Her body glowed It is done  
  
* END DREAM *  
  
  
Serena woke up and found herself in the white-walled infirmary. "What am I doing in here?"  
  
"Tenshi!"  
  
"You're awake!"  
  
Two teenage boys ran to her side and jumped on the bed with her. She had missed them so much and swallowed them in her arms. Serena noted that she did feel better than she had last night, but not by much.   
  
"Hi my little ones! It's been a long time, ne?" She smiled wide and hugged them tighter.  
  
"Wait!" Trunks said. "My mom said to come and get her when you woke up." He dashed out of Serena's arms and ran out of the room in search of his blue-haired mother.  
  
A few minutes later, Bulma walked into the hospital wing of their house being trailed by her son. "Hey sunshine! I'm glad to see you're awake! You had us scared there for a minute."  
  
"Scared? What happened?"  
  
"Well," Bulma rubbed the back of her head, "from what Goku was telling me, you were glowing silver, which he wasn't too worried about because he's seen you do that before, but then your energy dropped even lower than before and you started glowing green as well as silver."  
  
"Yeah! It was really cool!" Trunks laughed at the memory.  
  
"No it wasn't! I got shocked!" Goten frowned.  
  
Serena looked apologetically at Goten and placed her warm hand on his head. "I'm sorry little one. It was an accident." She smiled warmly at him and received a hug in return.  
  
"It's okay. I know you wouldn't hurt me on purpose." Serena asked the boys to go and play while she talked to Bulma.  
  
"What's going on inside you Sere? How come you're glowing green now?"  
  
Serena patted the bed, signaling Bulma to sit next to her. "During the battle, half of my guardians died. I have...oh what's that word?" She bit her lip in concentration. "I guess you could say I've absorbed them? When I saw them hanging on the wall, I brought them into the crystal, but the crystal is in my every cell. I *am* the crystal. They're trapped in my body until I get strong enough to extract them and they are strong enough to be outside me without my help."  
  
Bulma inspected Serena's more major wounds and saw they were healing a little quicker and quite nicely. "Well, it looks like you're healing faster than you were when Goku first took you."  
  
Serena went on to tell Bulma about how she had turned most of the new energy that she was receiving to herself and her guardian, Jupiter. "That's why I've been glowing green as well. It's the color of her planet."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Bulma told Serena what had been going on for the last few days around the house. She didn't forget to thank her for making such a sturdy gravity machine so she could have more time on her recent project.  
  
"Lady Bulma, the one named Arem is awake."  
  
"Thank you Sam." Bulma got up to leave but Serena grabbed her hand.   
  
"Take me with you."  
  
Bulma shook her head. "I'm not sure that's such a grand idea. Who knows what she'll do. You're not strong enough to protect yourself against her."  
  
Serena looked at her friend. "Neither are you. At least I'll be a familiar face." Bulma nodded.   
  
"But what if something happens? Goku will kill me if he finds out that I put you in danger.   
  
"We'll bring the boys."   
  
Bulma was slightly confused. "Why the boys? Why not Goku or Vegeta?"  
  
It was times like this that her wisdom shone through. "She has been beaten by too many men, too many times. She would be too afraid to move or let us get near enough to help her, even if she did see me. With the boys, she would see less of a threat."  
  
"You are a genius! I'm so glad you're on our side."   
  
Boys, I need your help  
  
Bulma helped Serena into a sitting position before the slight hiss of the metal sliding door was heard.  
  
"You called?"  
  
Bulma looked at the two boys. "No. I didn't call you yet?"  
  
"I'm sorry, Bulma. I called them with our telepathic link."  
  
"Ah. That's right. I remember Vegeta saying something about that." Bulma sighed. "Come boys. Serena needs your help upstairs. We're going to the guest room right across from mine."  
  
The boys swung one arm, each, over their shoulders and lifted off the bed. At 12 years old, they still weren't quite as tall as she so they hovered and helped her. They felt a strain in her shoulder muscles and did the arm-chair thing. They made a square shape with their arms and had her sit on it and hold onto their shoulders. It worked much better this way.  
  
As soon as they made it to the door of the room that Arem was in, they slowly lowered to the ground, allowing Serena to get her footing.  
  
"Thank you boys."  
  
"Are you ready?" Bulma lifted her thumb to the pad on the wall and pressed it when she saw Serena nod.  
  
"Soft lights on." Serena commanded. 4 lights in the corners of the room turned on, casting a warm glow over the shadows. She listened carefully and could hear a quick breath coming from the opposite side of the room, a place that was still hidden in shadows.  
  
Serena reached out with her ki and found Arem, huddled in the corner, next to the closet. "Arem. Arem, are you in here?" Silence was her only answer. "Arem. It's me, Serena, the one you healed."  
  
"S...Serena?"   
  
Serena's eyes began to water when she heard the fear in Arem's voice.  
  
"Yes, its me. These lights are too bright for you, aren't they? Light's off." The room was engulfed in darkness again until a small flicker of light appeared. Serena held a candle in her hand and walked towards the area where she felt Arem was.  
  
Arem slowly crawled out of the corner she was in and stood, as much as she was able, in front of Serena. "Hello Arem."  
  
"Hello your majesty." Arem slightly bowed but Serena would have none of it and led Arem back to the bed to sit. "Arem. I have some friends with me. Is it okay if they come in?"  
  
Arem only nodded her head. She was expecting some big monstrous men to come strolling through the door but instead saw two little boys and a woman who looked about her age.  
  
Be gentle boys  
  
Goten and Trunks walked forward and bowed.   
  
"Pleased to meet you ma'am" said the first.  
  
"Welcome to Capsule Corp," said the second. Arem squeaked a thank you and sat very still at Serena's side. She trusted Serena even though years of torture told her not to. The last person that she had been able to trust was her mother before she was caught and enslaved.  
  
Arem could tell the lady who was walking towards her had blue hair, having spent most of her life with minimal light.   
  
"Hi! My name is Bulma." Bulma stretched her arm forward and Arem immediately curled herself into a ball.  
  
"Please don't hurt me."  
  
Bulma didn't know before hand about the place Arem had come from or her circumstances. Seeing this reaction brought tears to her eyes and her anger rose at whoever could have done such a horrible thing this woman. She pulled her hand back and looked at Serena and mouthed, 'I'm sorry.'  
  
Serena only smiled, telling her friend not to worry. She bent over and picked Arem up while whispering words of comfort to her.  
  
"Don't worry, Arem. I promise you that Bulma and I will never hurt you. I give you my word."  
  
Arem felt ashamed that she had reacted so hastily, but who could blame her? She thought she was being beaten again and was only doing it out of reflex. She stood up again and Bulma slowly reached her hand forward again, yet Arem didn't reach for it. She just stared at the appendage, watching it cautiously.  
  
"Arem, this is how we greet people, by shaking their hands."  
  
A small memory made its way to the front of her mind. She saw her mother opening the door to their home and greeting someone the same way the woman was trying to. Arem blinked and there stood Bulma with her hand waiting. She slowly lifted hers and placed it in Bulma's open one. A smile crossed the blue-haired woman's face as she gently shook Arem's hand up and down.  
  
After shaking everyone's hand, Arem stood next to Serena again, waiting for her next command. Serena waved one hand over the other and a pair of sunglasses appeared. She gave them to Arem.  
  
"These are called sunglasses. They're used to block extreme light from our eyes. I know that you are accustomed to the dark but you are going to have to leave this room sometime. If you put these on, we can turn on the lights and will be able to see much better. Go ahead and try them on."  
  
Serena showed her how to unfold them and place them on her face. They were made so that the lens would cup around her eyes to block any light from getting to her eyes from all angles.   
  
"After a while, I will be making the lens lighter and lighter so that you will be able to see without having to use them. Are you ready for me to turn on the light?"  
  
"I think so Princess."  
  
"Okay. Here I go." Serena held on to Arem's hand and watched her while commanding Sam to turn on the lights. Arem could feel the warmth of the lights and crouched down with a raised hand to block it.  
  
"It is still dark, but much brighter than I'm used to." Serena didn't say anything because she was shocked at Arem's appearance. She could see how the woman was pale because of the lack of sunshine and nutrition. Her clothes were rags, covering in all the right places, bruises covering the places where there were no clothes. Arem's hair was brown and her face was smeared with years of dirt.  
  
When she found her voice, she whispered, "Boys, please show Arem around the house. I have to talk to Bulma." Serena plastered on a smile to show Arem that it was okay to go with them and that she could trust the two little ones that were holding her hands.  
  
As soon as the door shut, Serena burst into tears at the horrible looking thing she had brought home. "How can anyone do that to a person?" Bulma just held her and let her cry on her shoulder.  
  
"Isn't she starving?" Bulma wiped away her tears and explained the little transplant she had made and how it worked. She would be able to eat in about a month if all went as scheduled. By the time the group of three came back, Serena was feeling a little better.   
  
"Arem. Come with us! We are going to get you cleaned up."  
  
"Boys, go play." They quickly obeyed Bulma's command and left the three women alone.  
  
A voice rang from the speaker phone. "Onna! Where is my lunch and my mate?"  
  
Bulma smiled. "Your sister and I are taking care of Arem. She just woke up. Find food yourself, all-mighty Prince of the Saiyans, or are you incapable?"  
  
"You wait till I get my hands on you, onna! You won't be able to stand for a week!"  
  
"You promise?"  
  
".................."  
  
Arem carefully asked, "You are the mate of the Saiyan Prince?"  
  
Bulma laughed and nodded her head. Yes, she was married to that arrogant, strong, loving Saiyan.  
  
"Is he going to beat you now?" She was confused when Bulma shook her head.  
  
"No, the only time the prince beats someone is when he is training. He doesn't harm me in any unpleasurable way."  
  
Unpleasurable? How could punishment be pleasurable?" Arem was alien to this idea and couldn't figure out why Serena's face was turning pink.  
  
"Come, let's clean you up." No more words were spoken as they led the small woman to the bathroom. It was incredibly large, there was a shower about 8feet by 8feet. Serena snapped her fingers and herself and Bulma were wearing black swimming suits.  
  
"Is this your torture rack?" Suddenly Arem didn't feel so good. She was beginning to worry that she would be beaten now too.  
  
"No Arem. This is where we take showers. Water comes out of that metal tube on the wall and it washes away the dirt. Let me show you how it works." Serena stepped in and showed Arem the controls that were on the back wall, opposite of the water spout. Arem turned it on and was startled when water came spewing out of the wall.  
  
"Gomen! Gomen nasai! Please forgive me, have mercy on me." She knelt down at Serena's feet and began to kow tow.   
  
"Forgive you for what?"  
  
"You have shown me kindness and I have gone and caused a leak in the wall. I am so sorry." She lifted her head when Serena and Bulma began to laugh.  
  
"Arem...the water isn't leaking. This is what a shower looks like. It's supposed to do that." Bulma was wiping away the tears falling on her cheeks.  
  
Serena made the water luke-warm, thinking that the only showers that Arem must have taken were in cold water. Serena stripped her of her clothes while Bulma ran to the cupboard to get more shampoo and other cleaning supplies. This girl was going to be a lot of work.  
  
After an hour and a half of scrubbing and wiping and shampooing, three very wet women stepped out of the shower.  
  
"OMG! Arem, is that you?" After all the soap suds had been washed away and hair had been dried, a totally different woman stood in their midst.   
  
"Yes, do I look different to you?"  
  
Serena dumbly nodded her head.   
  
"You look as if you see a ghost."  
  
She closed her eyes while wiping her sunglasses dry and then put them back on. Turning to face the mirror, she saw what the other two women were gaping at.   
  
"Mother!" Arem ran to the mirror and after trying to grab her mother's hand, realized that it was only a reflection of herself. "That's me!" The woman in the mirror had a young looking face if you were to excuse the bruises under her eyes and the small scars on her face. Her hair was a soft lavender color that hung to her knees when undone.   
  
Still looking into the mirror, Arem carefully touched her face, seeing what she looked like for the first time in 24 years. Tears came to her eyes as she saw how similar she looked to the memory of her mother. Her mother had the same dark blue eyes with the light lavender hair. Her facial features seemed the same, even down to the beauty mark under her left eye.  
  
"You are so beautiful." Serena hugged Arem from behind and could feel how quickly Arem's body tensed. The only physical contact that was made towards her was harmful and when Serena realized that, her heart broke. 'I'm going to fix that!' she swore to herself.  
  
Serena conjured up three very beautiful summer dresses for them. Bulma had a on a beige short-sleeved dress that came up to her knees. Lavender flowers bordered the hem of the skirt and the neck of the dress. It was simple, yet lovely. For herself, Serena chose a sky blue dress that accentuated her silver hair and eyes. For Arem, she didn't have to think hard to see what would make her beautiful. Anything she would wear would look great on her. A simple white dress appeared on her body with soft pink flowers. She requested one with a long skirt and sleeves. The sleeves reached her elbows and had a pink flower underneath each one and little pink flowers appeared in her hair, tucked between the braided strands. None of them wore shoes, Serena thought it would be a great day to go barefoot, since she hadn't been outside in a long time.  
  
In Serena's eyes, they were the most beautiful women on the entire planet. Bulma was silently wondering how her prince was going to like it. They headed down the stairs to see what the men's reactions would be. 


	23. Meeting Gohan's Mother

K, I'm sorry that this isn't such a long one, but I tried to write as much as I could. This one was hard, but hopefully the next one will come out a whole lot sooner. I won't have 3 concerts this week or my mom coming in town.   
  
  
Finals? What are finals? Lol.  
  
  
Oh! By the way, I've started a new fic called "A Lost Soul, Found". I know I shouldn't have because I'm not even halfway done with this one, but I was in the mood. I'm sorry :) I'll keep working on this one of course! Wouldn't dare stop.   
  
  
OOH - Another thing! I HIGHLY RECOMMEND you all to go and check out the work of my friend, FairDrea. She is the author of two of my favorite stories called "Surrender, Sweet Prince" and "Strange Happenings at Midnight Carnage", both under the DBZ/SM category. If you like my stories, I'm sure you'll love hers as much as I do!   
  
FAIRDREA'S WORK:  
  
Surrender, Sweet Prince: http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=1010738  
Strange Happenings at Midnight Carnage: http://fanfiction.net/read.php?storyid=971058   
  
  
Echo Hunter  
  
  
--------------  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
  
Serena conjured up three very beautiful summer dresses for them. Bulma had a on a beige short-sleeved dress that came up to her knees. Lavender flowers bordered the hem of the skirt and the neck of the dress. It was simple, yet lovely. For herself, Serena chose a sky blue dress that accentuated her silver hair and eyes. For Arem, she didn't have to think hard to see what would make her beautiful. Anything she would wear would look great on her. A simple white dress appeared on her body with soft pink flowers. She requested one with a long skirt and sleeves. The sleeves reached her elbows and had a pink flower underneath each one and little pink flowers appeared in her hair, tucked between the braided strands. None of them wore shoes, Serena thought it would be a great day to go barefoot, since she hadn't been outside in a long time.  
  
  
In Serena's eyes, they were the most beautiful women on the entire planet. Bulma was silently wondering how her prince was going to like it. They headed down the stairs to see what the men's reactions would be.  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 23: MEETING GOHAN'S MOTHER  
  
  
Arem stepped slowly out of the front door of the dome house. Even with her sunglasses being as dark as they were, the sunlight still managed to blind her. Since sight wasn't a very useful tool in the dark, her sense of smell and hearing had developed to an incredibly high level. As she was in the front yard, she couldn't decide whether to cover her sensitive ears or her overwhelmed nose. Arem could hear 2 objects whizzing through the air and then a few seconds later could smell what scent had lingered. It was the two boys she had met earlier.  
  
  
"Hi mom, hi Serena, hi lady." The chibi purple-haired boy flew past them, obviously trying to get away from something, or rather *someone*.  
  
  
"Hi Serena, hi aunt Bulma, hi Arem." Goten flew right behind him.  
  
  
All of a sudden Trunks reappeared in front of his mom.  
  
  
"Mom! You're wearing a dress! You look very nice!" Trunks had only ever seen his mother in a dress when they went to or had formal parties.  
  
  
Gohan had flew next to Trunks' side. "Tenshi! You look beautiful!" He lowered his head to hide the blush that was staining his face. Serena made him turn even redder when she kissed his cheek.  
  
  
After Trunks looked at his tenshi, he looked at the woman who was standing next to them.  
  
  
"Who's that mom?" He flew closer to her and Arem scooted closer to Serena for protection.  
  
  
"Why don't you guess? I know you can sense ki." Trunks concentrated a bit and recognized her as the woman he had met earlier.  
  
  
"Wow! I didn't know you looked like that! You're pretty too!" Arem blushed graciously at the two 12 year-olds.  
  
  
"Hey! Are you like my aunt or something? You have the same color hair as me!" Trunks circled around her in the air, trying to get a closer look.  
  
  
"No. I'm not your aunt, but she is," she replied, pointing to Serena.  
  
  
Serena had a great idea. "Hey boys, why don't you take Arem and show her around Capsule Corp really quick? I'm sure she'd love to see the grounds." The boys nodded their heads, glad that they would have a reason to keep away from the two older boys they were trying to avoid.  
  
  
"We'd love to!" Goten answered.  
  
  
"AAAAAAHHHHH."  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Gohan was telling Mirai how he felt about his dad's new girlfriend and what Goten thought of her as well.  
  
  
"I don't think I hate her, but I don't know. It seems like she's just coming in and taking over mom's spot."  
  
  
Mirai didn't know how to respond. He had never been in this sort of situation before and hadn't known anyone that had been. Everyone was killed in his time and the only friends he had were the Z fighters.  
  
  
"Well, your dad likes her right?"  
  
  
"Yeah."  
  
  
"And Goten likes her right?"  
  
  
He nodded his head.  
  
  
"She's not trying to take over the world is she?"  
  
  
Gohan had to think about that one. "Um, I don't think so. The only person she talks to is your mom and I know that your mom isn't in on it."  
  
  
"See! Nothing to worry about then." Both boys stood up and dusted their pants.  
  
  
"You wanna hear what Goten told me?"  
  
  
Mirai nodded his head.  
  
  
"Well, he said that mom had visited him in a dream. He told me that she went and talked to Serena's mom in heaven and asked if Serena could be sent to dad to make him happier. Goten thinks that she's dad's angel and that mom sent her."  
  
  
"Did he really talk to your mom?"  
  
  
Gohan shrugged his shoulders. "That's what he tells me and why would he have a reason to lie? We can't lie in my family. It's some kind of curse or something."  
  
  
"Um...okay."  
  
  
Gohan and Mirai looked around when they heard thumping on the ground around them.   
  
  
"What in the world..."  
  
  
"AAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" The boys were blinded by a bright flash of light and they started coughing from the foul stench that entered their lungs.  
  
  
Their tempers flared along with their ki when they heard to familiar snickers.  
  
  
"YOU BETTER START RUNNING NOW!!!" Gohan took of into the air after his brat of a brother and his little best friend. Mirai was right behind him, still rubbing his eyes in an attempt to get them to focus again.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Gohan and Trunks finally managed to catch up to the two little boys who were standing still.  
  
  
"What did you do to us this time?" Gohan was holding Trunks by the collar of his gi.  
  
  
"And you better tell us now or you won't wake up till next week!" Mirai was holding Goten in the air.  
  
  
Bulma piped in while pinching her nose. "What are you talking about and why do you two stink?" She said, pointing at her older son and Gohan.  
  
  
"These two pipsqueaks threw a bunch of those moon balls at us. First we were blinded and then we were nearly choked by some stinky smoke."  
  
  
Serena loved teaching the boys new things, but she had warned them about abusing their powers. "I'm very disappointed in you two," she said stepping forward.  
  
  
Gohan and Mirai let go of them and the floated to the ground. They watched as Goten and Trunks' shoulders sagged and their heads hung low.  
  
  
"I'm sorry," the replied in unison. They didn't like disappointing their tenshi or giving her a reason to be sad. "We promise we won't ever do it again."  
  
  
Serena smiled and swallowed them in a hug. "That's okay, as long as you keep your promise. Now be sweethearts and show Arem around."   
  
  
But be careful because she's weak. I think you guys might have to carry her  
  
  
I have an idea! Goten's voice rang in the air as he called Nimbus to him. "Here you go, Miss Arem. You can sit on Nimbus so you don't get too tired. I know you must still be a little weak."  
  
  
She looked hesitantly at Serena. "Its okay, Arem. These boys won't let anyone hurt you, okay?"  
  
  
Arem only nodded her head.  
  
  
"Don't go too fast. Take your time."   
  
  
"Yes mom/Aunt Bulma."  
  
  
The boys disappeared around the corner and Serena smiled. Bulma glanced at Serena and saw that she was glowing again.  
  
  
"Bulma, I don't feel so...good..." She began to fall forward and closed her eyes, preparing to meet the ground, when a pair of strong arms caught her.  
  
  
"Serena!" Bulma panicked. Serena had passed out the last time she glowed green and silver. Vegeta told her it was because of energy depletion.  
  
  
"What's wrong with her, Bulma?" Gohan felt her energy drop incredibly fast and had rushed forward to catch her just before she hit the ground. Now he was holding the unconscious woman in his arms and was panicking.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Goku's head shot up and received a furious blow from his opponent, sending him to the ground. He was rubbing his jaw and looked around as if searching for something.  
  
  
"Did you feel that?" and before Vegeta could say anything, he instant transmissioned back to CC.   
  
  
Goku appeared right in front of Gohan and saw him holding Serena. Millions of thoughts ran through his mind as he gently took her out of his arms. "What happened to her?" He held her protectively against his chest.  
  
  
"Oh nothing to worry about Goku. This has been happening all week. She's just experiencing energy surges and drains because her body is trying to produce enough energy to support 9 people."  
  
  
He turned his head to his son. "So why were YOU holding her?"  
  
  
Gohan stepped back in shock. A hurt look crossed his face, he couldn't believe his father had said that to him. "She passed out and I caught her before she hit the ground." His face was emotionless as he slowly started walking away. Bulma watched his departing figure and a scowl appeared on her face.  
  
  
"Goku you idiot! I can't believe you said that to your son!"  
  
  
"What? He was holding, my mate!"  
  
  
Bulma was fuming. She knew how sensitive Gohan was and was absolutely furious that his father was being so rude and insensitive. Oh how she hated Saiyan hormones. "You pig-headed, dumb-ass son of a monkey! Do you realize that you just hurt your son's feelings? I can't believe you! He already thinks that Serena is coming in to take over Chi Chi's spot in the family and here you are showing him that she's more important than he is, your own son, who loves you more than anything in this entire world!"  
  
  
Goku had calmed down enough to realize that he had made a big mistake and he felt horrible for what he had done. He did know how sensitive his son was, but his Saiyan hormones were taking over, not giving him room to think before he spoke or acted.  
  
  
"I'll find him and apologize as soon as we get Serena inside." They went in and put Serena down on the couch and Bulma kicked him out of the house to look for his son so he could make things better.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
The boys brought Arem back in the house right after Goku left. She was extremely tired and felt a little queasy.  
  
  
"Hi Arem! How'd you like it outside?"  
  
  
Arem smiled and complimented Bulma on the beautiful grounds. She couldn't understand why she was feeling a little sick and Bulma explained how she thought it was because she had spent most of her life having no contact at all with sunlight. Bulma suggested that she spend about 15 minutes outside in the sun every day and raise the amount of time each week by a few minutes until she got used to it. Arem agreed that it would be for the best if she slowly adjusted to her new surroundings.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Goku flew around and searched for his son's ki but couldn't find it anywhere. 'Where has that boy gone? He wouldn't go anywhere without telling us first, would he?'  
  
  
He asked Piccolo, Yamcha, Krillen and everyone but no one had seen him. Goku instant-transmissioned home and he hadn't shown up there either. He found Goten and Trunks attempting to build something in Serena's lab.  
  
  
"Have either of you seen Gohan?"  
  
  
The little ones looked up at Goku and nodded their heads.  
  
  
"Yeah, dad. He just left. He said to say good-bye and that he'd be back when...umm, what'd he say Trunks?"  
  
  
"He said he'd be back whenever."  
  
  
"Oh. Yeah! That's right. He was pretty depressed about something so him and Mirai left. That's all they said."   
  
  
"Thanks, son." Goku ruffled the boy's hair and left to make his way back to CC. He walked in the door and asked Sam about Bulma's whereabouts.   
  
  
"Miss Bulma is in C4."  
  
  
The first time Goku had heard about room C4 was when he was little and he was in bad shape after fighting the Red Ribbon Army. Bulma brought him home and kept him in C4, which stood for C.C.C.C. or the Capsule Corp Care Center. It was named it C4 for easy reference.  
  
  
Goku walked in the door and saw Bulma standing over Serena.  
  
  
"How'd it go?" She kept her focus on Serena.  
  
  
"It didn't go. He left."  
  
  
"To where?"  
  
  
Goku shook his head. "I don't know, but wherever it was, Mirai went with him." Bulma had a feeling that they had gone back to Trunks' time, but said nothing just incase she was right.  
  
  
Inside, Goku was angry with himself for lashing out at his son. He didn't mean to, but a lot of things were happening that he didn't mean to happen. The more and more he read the book on Saiyans, the more he realized that he was going through what was called a 'rut' and was very aggressive and possessive when it came to matters pertaining to their intended mates.  
  
  
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@  
  
  
Every time Serena passed out from the energy drain, she would always see her senshi. She was seeing them again and this time Lita looked like she was almost better.  
  
  
"Just a little while longer and then I can bust this joint!" The senshi of lightning squeezed the life out of Serena in excitement. The girls had sat down to talk and Serena explained to them what was going on with Arem and how she was so incredibly beautiful when cleaned up.  
  
  
They told her about the new things that they were learning to do with their powers. They would demonstrate as soon as they left their host's body. Serena could feel herself being pulled from the vision of her friends and was ready to open her eyes when she suddenly felt herself being taken somewhere else.  
  
  
"Where am I?" Serena looked around and saw white everywhere.   
  
  
"You are in a safe place." She looked towards the sound of the voice and saw a white figure walking towards her.  
  
  
"Mother!"  
  
  
"Hello again daughter!"   
  
  
"What are you doing here?" After she had asked that she saw another woman coming closer. "Who's that?" she whispered.  
  
  
"This is my friend and she needs your help."  
  
  
"Anything." She looked at the older woman and noticed that she looked oddly familiar.   
  
  
The woman stepped forward and looked at Serena with sad eyes. "Hello princess. I need you to help take care of my son. He is extremely sensitive and is going through a rough time right now, adjusting."  
  
  
"Sure," she said looking at her mom. "What would you like me to do?"  
  
  
The black-haired woman stretched an arm forward. "If you could just give him this, I would much appreciate it."  
  
  
Serena took the book from her and looked at it. "You want me to give him a math book?"   
  
  
She just nodded. "Yes, please. There's something in there that he needs to be reminded of, something that has forgotten. Oh, and can you give him this letter too?" She handed Serena a folded piece of paper with a red ribbon tied to it. Serena nodded her head.  
  
  
"Serena, I would greatly appreciate it if you could just give that to him for her. She misses her sons but can't visit them often the way I can visit you."  
  
  
"Who is her son? Do I know him?"  
  
  
"Yes you do. In fact, let me show you." Her mother's friend walked to Queen Serenity's side again as a little picture appeared in front of them that seemed to be scanning the land. Serena saw a destroyed world, cities in rubble and brown, dead earth in every picture that flashed in her eyes.  
  
  
It suddenly stopped and showed two familiar figures looking over a crumbled city.   
  
  
"That's Gohan and Mirai!" She smiled as she saw them lightly punching each other in the shoulder. "Are you Chi Chi?"  
  
  
She nodded her head in answer. "Wow, don't I feel awkward?"  
  
  
Chi Chi just laughed. "Don't. Please. Goku is a great man. We just weren't made for each other like you are. We just didn't realize it when we got together. He thought that getting married meant getting food and...well, I just wanted to get married."  
  
  
Chi Chi went on to share stories about how it was living with the Saiyan and the things she loved about him and the things that she didn't like so much that he did.   
  
  
"Even after all those years that we had been married, he still remained a little boy. You could see it in his eyes."  
  
  
Serena tried to remember what she saw in his eyes, but it had been such a long time since she had actually stared into them.  
  
  
"May I ask why Gohan is feeling depressed?"  
  
  
Chi Chi just shook her head. "I am not allowed to say, just that he needs all the love he can get. He is my sensitive one and is very insecure about himself. He's always been that way, but if you could just give him that, I know that he will feel better."  
  
  
"Okay. I will get it to him."  
  
  
After a few more minutes, Queen Serenity informed her daughter that it was time for her to wake up.  
  
  
"But how will I find him?"  
  
  
The queen smiled at her only child. "The same way you find any time travelers." Serena could feel herself slowly being pulled back into her world.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
She opened her eyes to find a mop of black wayward hair next to her stomach. She lifted her hand and stroked it, reveling in its softness. Goku raised his head and stared into Serena's sparkling, silver eyes. He gently grabbed her wrist and kissed the fingers that had been in his hair. "Hello beautiful. How do you feel?"  
  
  
"I feel a little tired, but that's normal." Her stomach growled as if answering for itself. "I guess I'm hungry too." Her laugh filled the empty, white room.  
  
  
"Come. Let's go get something to eat." Serena quickly lifted her left arm and snapped, opening her nifty little space-pocket where she deposited the book and letter without Goku noticing, and then closed it again. He lifted her out of the bed she was in and instant transmissioned to his home.   
  
  
Goku left a note this time for Bulma telling her that Serena was with him. At home, he carefully sat her on the table. Next to her he placed 20 plates of food and for the next 45 minutes fed her and himself. 


	24. The Amazon

A QUICK LITTLE NARRATIVE...by Echo Hunter  
  
  
  
I crawled onto the big, red man's lap. His white beard tickled my nose and his booming voice made me smile.   
  
  
"Well little Echo Hunter...have you been a good girl this year?"  
  
  
I tried to remember everything I had done. I'd paid my bills, I kept my commitments...well, most of them, I stopped going to my Italian class, but I paid for it didn't I? Hmm, what else...I wrote chapters for my stories as fast as I could and stayed up all night till I got 24 done for recompense for the week before. I think I had been *mostly* good so I nodded my head, too timid to speak to him.  
  
  
"That's good to hear. What would you like for Christmas, child?"  
  
  
I thought hard. I only got one wish from Santa and I knew I had to make it good.  
  
  
"I wish that I could understand the male mind!"  
  
  
Santa laughed and rubbed his fuzzy chin. "I don't know...that's quite a big wish for someone so small..."  
  
  
My face fell. I understood. Asking to understand why boys were stupid was a very big wish.  
  
  
"I don't know if I *can* grant that. How about you come up with something else...as a back-up wish."  
  
  
I thought harder. I knew what I wanted!   
  
  
"How about to have my readers review my story until Christmas?" I watched carefully as Santa's face crinkled in thought.   
  
  
"I think I'll grant your first wish, to understand the male mind."  
  
  
  
  
NOW ON TO THE STORY!!!  
  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
* LAST TIME *   
  
  
  
She opened her eyes to find a mop of black wayward hair next to her stomach. She lifted her hand and stroked it, reveling in its softness. Goku raised his head and stared into Serena's sparkling, silver eyes. He gently grabbed her wrist and kissed the fingers that had been in his hair. "Hello beautiful. How do you feel?"  
  
  
"I feel a little tired, but that's normal." Her stomach growled as if answering for itself. "I guess I'm hungry too." Her laugh filled the empty, white room.  
  
  
"Come. Let's go get something to eat." Serena quickly lifted her left arm and snapped, opening her nifty little space-pocket where she deposited the book and letter without Goku noticing, and then closed it again. He lifted her out of the bed she was in and instant transmissioned to his home.   
  
  
Goku left a note this time for Bulma telling her that Serena was with him. At home, he carefully sat her on the table. Next to her he placed 20 plates of food and for the next 45 minutes fed her and himself.  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 24: THE AMAZON   
  
  
"How's Arem doing? I haven't seen her for a while?"  
  
  
"Oh, she's doing great!" Bulma answered. "She's spending her 15 minutes outside with the boys. We've worked out this slow Adjustment Plan. She goes outside in the sun for a certain amount of time each day and we will increase the minutes every week until she is used to it."  
  
  
"You guys are making great progress! Thank you so much for taking such great care of her!"  
  
  
"Oh, it's no big deal! She's actually been helping me with medicine and such. She remembers things about healing and told me that's what she did while in the mountain castle all those years. She had been trained to heal all sorts of things." Bulma went on to tell her all the little things that they had talked about.  
  
  
After her summary, Serena handed Bulma a key and said, "If anything should happen at all, say this and hold up the key." Serena wrote down the words to an incantation that would bring her to Trista. She pocketed the few lines Serena had written down and the key to make sure that she wouldn't lose it.  
  
  
"See you later tonight!" Bulma waved and watched as a bright light flashed. Serena was gone.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
  
  
  
Serena appeared at Trista's side and found herself looking into a window of time.   
  
  
"Where are they?"  
  
  
Without looking away, Trista told her that they were in Mirai's time, on his earth. Serena had a sad feeling in her heart as she looked at the destruction that had obviously taken place there. She had heard the story before from Bulma, but wasn't prepared to see what she had.  
  
  
"Right now, they're sending out "Scavengers" or little machines that float around, that search for any signs of life." Serena watched the window and saw little metal balls floating slowly in the air, hovering slowly across the land. She was amazed at the things Bulma came up with.  
  
  
"Is she..."  
  
  
"Yes, Bulma is alive in this time-line, though if she knows you or not, I am not sure."  
  
  
"Okay, I'm ready."  
  
  
Pluto raised her staff and lowered the window to the ground where it took the shape of a door and Serena walked through it, bending the picture as she stepped to the other side. She looked behind her and saw the portal close. Just as she turned around, a metal ball flew to her and stopped 1 foot away. A red light began to flash and it stayed right in front of her. When she walked, it moved and maintained its distance from her.  
  
  
Serena could feel Gohan and Mirai's enormous powers heading in her direction. She guessed they were about 20 miles away, when suddenly she had another drainage.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Serena woke up and found herself on a couch.   
  
  
"Glad to see you're awake. I was wondering if you would ever come back to us!" Bulma's face had aged a great deal. She was no longer looking at the younger version of her best friend.   
  
  
"What is today's Date?"  
  
  
"It is the 27th year of the 2nd Mark."  
  
  
'I'll definitely have to ask someone about this date system.' "How long have I been out?"  
  
  
"You've been asleep for 2 days now. We're so lucky that Gohan and Mirai found you and brought you here. I was wondering if those Scavenger balls really would work and if there was anyone left on this planet. After those androids had come and destroyed everything, I wasn't sure if there would be anything or anyone left of our world."  
  
  
In Serena's mind, she guessed that Bulma thought she was from *this* time. "I'm from Gohan's time. In fact, I was sent here to find him and give him something. Would you happen to know where he is?"  
  
  
Bulma smiled warmly. "Yes, he's out with Mirai right now. They're still out programming and distributing the Scavenger balls." Bulma's hand covered her mouth. "OH! I'm sorry. I bet you don't even know what scavenger balls are!" Bulma explained about the scavenger balls and how they were programmed to sense heat, movement and life forms, even those of animals.  
  
  
"I think that the only animal life we have left are ocean-life. Most of the land on the face of this planet has been destroyed, taking the animals with it I'm guessing."  
  
  
After another hour or so, Mirai and Gohan walked into CC and saw Serena and Bulma sitting and talking.  
  
  
Gohan had found Serena out cold in the middle of what used to be a lush, green forest. Most days spend with the scavenger balls were uneventful and they soon began to wonder if they even worked. It was Gohan's scouter that beeped when she appeared. He was in the middle of creating a lake, in an attempt to restore some of the natural beauty. It had startled him, to say the least, when the small machine came alive.  
  
  
He flared his ki, signaling Mirai that he was needed and sped off in the direction of the little glowing dot on the green and black grid. When Gohan reached the place on the map, he was surprised and a bit angry to find Serena there.  
  
  
'Can I never escape her?'  
  
  
He picked her up and took off towards the battered CC and deposited her on the couch, leaving her to Bulma's care.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Their heads turned as Gohan and Mirai strolled into the living room.  
  
  
"Hi boys!" Bulma was excited to see them.  
  
  
"Hi mom/Bulma"  
  
  
Mirai stepped forward. "How are you feeling, Serena?"  
  
  
She smiled warmly at him. "I'm feeling a little better. I'm glad your mom knows how to take care of me. Wait..." she turned to Bulma. "How *did* you know how to take care of me?"  
  
  
"My secret."  
  
  
Serena just rolled her eyes. "Of course."   
  
  
Mirai knew Gohan's predicament and tried to help his friend out. "Serena, can you tell us why you're here?"  
  
  
"I'm here for Gohan." Gohan was shocked. Of all the things he had expected of her visit, that was the last thing he would have thought.  
  
  
"For me? Why?"   
  
  
"I'm supposed to tell you in private. Is there somewhere we can go?"  
  
  
The black-haired Saiyan nodded his head and walked to the couch, picking her up. "Thank you, Gohan."  
  
  
"You're welcome." He flew out the door and headed to a piece of land right outside the city. Gohan sat her down on a large rock, knowing that she was probably still a little drained.   
  
  
"Now what is it you have to tell me?" Serena searched his heart and felt it aching with loneliness and heartache.   
  
  
"I have presents for you."  
  
  
"For me?" Gohan's face perked up with interest.  
  
  
She smiled, glad to see the change on his face, even if it was for a split second. "I don't know what this might mean to you," she said reaching into her sub-space pocket, "I don't understand why she would want me to give it to you, of all the things in the world..." Serena searched around a little deeper, not being able to find what she was looking for right away.  
  
  
"She who?"  
  
  
Serena stopped and looked at him. "Your mother."  
  
  
'Mom?' Gohan's heart sped up.  
  
  
"Ah, here it is." Serena handed him a math book with a letter resting on the top, still carrying it's red ribbon. "She asked me to give this to you."  
  
  
"Do you know why?" Gohan tucked the letter into his belt and started flipping through his old textbook, one he used when he was around 5 or 6, before Frieza came.   
  
  
"No, the only thing she said was it would help you remember something you've forgotten."  
  
  
As Gohan searched through the pages, the further in the book he got, the more lead he began to see on the pages. He really did forget something. Page after page, pencil lines became words and then pictures. Pictures of angels, or what he thought were angels back when he was younger, decorated the margins of the pages. It was the same angel over and over again. She was small and had large wings stretched out across the digits and equations. The angel had large eyes and what looked like a small crescent moon was on her forehead.   
  
  
Gohan's eyes glazed over as memories came back of how he had wanted a guardian angel for his dad. At the time he drew these pictures, Goku had been with King Kai up in heaven, training for the confrontation he would have with Vegeta.  
  
  
Serena, who had been watching silently saw several changes in his expression. "Is everything okay? Did you remember?"  
  
  
Gohan tore his gaze from the book and met her spirited blue eyes. "Transform."  
  
  
Serena was thoroughly confused by his command/request. "Transform?"  
  
  
He nodded. "Please. There is something that I need to see."  
  
  
Serena agreed and slowly stood. Night was slowly crawling across the wide expanse of sky, turning it and its clouds different hues of pinks and purples. The moon lay visible above head and Serena closed her eyes.  
  
  
A sparkle enveloped her as wings slowly sprouted from her back. The pants and t-shirt she had been wearing changed into a beautiful silver gown that hugged her figure nicely. She could feel her crescent moon glowing on her forehead, but didn't understand why, out of all the other times she had transformed, only now did it shine. Her hair flowed lazily behind her and her eyes and hair stayed their silver color.  
  
  
She met his gaze, signifying she had finished her transformation. She could see the tears in Gohan's eyes as his eyes examined her closely. She stepped forward, trying to get closer. "What's the matter, Gohan?"  
  
  
"My mother...she knew." Serena took a chance and got close enough to see what Gohan had been looking at. She was shocked to see pictures of herself covering almost every inch of space that hadn't been printed on.  
  
  
"What are these?"  
  
  
Gohan wiped his eyes with the back of his hand. "When I was five or six, dad had died after a battle with Radditz. I was still being home-schooled then and it was just me and mom. Instead of doing my homework like I should've been, I couldn't concentrate. I drew angels instead, so they could protect my dad while he was dead."  
  
  
Serena smiled as she thought of the countless number of times she had done the same in her school books.  
  
  
"One day a lady that looked exactly like you came to me and said that she would watch over my dad. She told me that an angel would always watch over my family and we would never be left alone. After dad came back to us on Namek, I guess I slowly forgot. She visited me for the last time when we had all come back to earth and dad was wandering around in space. It was my birthday and she had come to me at night while I was in bed.   
  
  
She had told me that it was the last time she would come. 'Someone else is going to be watching over you now. My time has ended as guardian of your family. What strength and power I have will come to you in your time of need, lifting you to the next plane, the next level. I love you Gohan and I will always be watching over you.'"  
  
  
In Serena's head, she was wondering who the angel was until something clicked in her mind. It was her mother that he had been talking about the whole time. Realization dawned on her that *she* was now the new guardian of the family.  
  
  
"The last time I remembered my angel was 3 months after my mom had died. She never came. No one came to help us. I guess I was just so sad about my mom dying that when you first came and Goten told me you were dad's angel, I couldn't remember. I didn't remember,...until now."  
  
  
Serena stretched her arms and wings out and enveloped the teenager in white warmth. Tears trailed down her face as she held the strong boy to her body while he calmed himself down.   
  
  
Gohan suddenly folded over in pain. A scream erupted from his lips and Serena immediately let go.  
  
  
"Gohan, what's the matter? What's going on?"  
  
  
He lay in a fetal position on the ground and writhed in pain. Suddenly, the pain disappeared as something reappeared in its place. Serena covered her mouth in shock and just stared. When Gohan regained his senses, he saw Serena's face.  
  
  
"What? What's going on." He felt something move behind him and turned around quickly, grabbing it and squeezing it with his hand.  
  
  
"AAAAahhhhh!!!" He quickly passed out.  
  
  
If Serena thought she was drained before, she was most definitely drained now. She had been carrying Gohan in the air and slowly descended as she reached the dome-shaped building. Not even thinking twice, she called for someone.  
  
  
"Sam, call Bulma. I need her help."  
  
  
"Voice unrecognized. Please state name and reason for approach."  
  
  
Serena growled. Of course Sam wouldn't know her here. It was an alternate dimension.  
  
  
"My name is Serena. Gohan is unconscious and I need Bulma's help."  
  
  
"One moment please," said the mechanical voice.  
  
  
Almost seconds later the door slid open and out walked Bulma. "Quick, bring him in."  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
When Gohan had woken, Serena explained to him what had happened.  
  
  
"For some reason, my body and crystal decided to heal you. You have your tail back now." To say he was surprised was a great understatement. He could already feel the power boost that the appendage brought.  
  
  
Gohan had soon left C4 and went off to read his mother's letter.  
  
  
'Dear Gohan,  
No mother could be prouder of her son than you have made me. You have grown up to be a strong, handsome and smart young man. I love you dearly and hope that you may live a happy life.  
I know that some things have been hard for you to adjust to in the last while. I want to let you know that I fully support your father in the decision he has made for a mate. Serena is a wonderful woman who can and will take great care of our family if you let her. She has had a very difficult life as well, full of pain and fighting, as have you. Do not be quick to judge, Gohan. I know you are hurting right now, but she will help to heal you if you let her. She is your angel now.  
As for your father. If I ever get my hands on that stupid...(Gohan read through the line that had been crossed through the word stupid)...man, I, never mind what I would do (she said referring to the incident that caused Gohan's depression-Gohan knowing what she was talking about). Please do not be angry with him over that and do not listen to a thing he says when he is angry. He is going thru a new stage in his life and is not able to control what he says all the time. Your angel will make this clear to you in a bit.  
Always remember that I love you son, and I will always be here for you. Take care of the angel that has been watching over us please. Watch over her and your little brother for me. Make sure that he doesn't slack off in his studies and keep being my brave little boy.  
  
Love,  
Mommy'  
  
  
  
Now that Gohan understood what Goten was trying to tell him, his eyes opened to a whole new light and finally felt peace begin to crawl into his soul again. He flew back to Capsule Corp, where he found Serena.   
  
  
Serena could feel the change of heart that Gohan came back with. She smiled at him, which warmed his being before he returned the gesture.   
  
  
Serena didn't want to leave this destroyed world. She did her best to help the boys, but knew that she couldn't do much because of her condition. It had been 3 days that she had been here, trying her best to get to know Goku's oldest son better. 3 days soon turned into 1 week and Serena was getting stronger and had finished re-creating her first forest.  
  
  
Gohan, Bulma, Mirai and Serena stepped back and looked at it. It was only a square mile of trees, but the color had cheered the hearts of the young soldiers and the older women.  
  
  
"Serena, you've done a beautiful job." Serena smiled and was about to thank Bulma until a wrenching pain shot through her chest. Gohan and Mirai felt Serena's ki shoot up to a level higher than their SS2 stage and then down to Bulma's level in a matter of 6 seconds.   
  
  
"Why is she glowing?"  
  
  
Bulma had never seen her like this before, but the other two had and knew exactly what to do. "Quick Bulma, we need to get her to C4."  
  
  
Gohan once again saved Serena from falling and injuring herself. He took to the air, followed closely by Bulma and her son. Once they got to CC, Gohan landed and ordered Sam to open the door. All 3 able-bodied, walked in the house and headed straight for the medical wing.   
  
  
"What's going on?" Bulma was still confused. Mirai had explained how her energy sometimes would fluctuate rapidly but that's all he could say. After Gohan had instructed Bulma to do what he had seen the Bulma of the past do, he explained the rest.  
  
  
"She's currently hosting 8 people in her body. Her friends were in an intense battle and she had saved them, but had to absorb them, so to say, to keep them alive. Now they're in her and her power builds, climaxes and then drops as it's separated between all 9 of them, including herself."  
  
  
He remembered the Bulma of his time telling him that she would be fine after the sudden drop of energy, but this time, something was wrong. Her body hadn't stopped glowing or shaking since the initial drop.  
  
  
"Something's wrong. She's never glowed this long before..."   
  
  
Mirai felt her ki drop dangerously low. "If we don't do something soon, she's not going to make it." He racked his brain for ideas and nothing came. Suddenly he jumped. "Hey! I remember Trunks telling me that they transfer their power to her when she gets drained like this. Maybe it would work for us."  
  
  
"Power up."   
  
  
Both boys yelled as they made the transition to SS1. Looking at Mirai, Gohan knew that they would need more. Mirai saw the look in his best friend's eyes and crossed to the higher level of SS2.  
  
  
Gohan placed his hands on Serena's abdomen and Mirai laid his hands on her head. Both super saiyans concentrated on sending their energy into the comatose woman. 5 minutes passed and they were still feeding her energy, knowing that it wasn't enough. Both, being drained, not believing the amount of energy they had already spent, shifted unwillingly down to the first level of super saiyan.  
  
  
It was slowly working and they could feel it, but it wasn't enough. The more energy they poured into her starving body, the more tired they became. Once again, their bodies changed to normal and they were running on the last of their resources. Gohan, remembering his tail, reached for unused power and found it, only to have it drained into Serena's body.  
  
  
Mirai couldn't bear the thought of having another family member die because he was too weak to help. 'Serena, don't you dare give up on me! If not for me, than for Gohan please..."  
  
  
Mirai, if it were not for his mother, would be a shell of a man. Everyone in his life had died until he finally made a trip to the past, where he had found his family again. He would fly around in loneliness, with only his mother to hold on to for sanity.   
  
  
The androids had been exterminated a long time ago and the world was finally able to rest in peace. The gods had decided to save the planet, having pity for the boy who had lost so much. He had prayed to them unceasingly every night when the androids were roaming the earth, that his mother and he could overtake them and live in peace, even if it was to be alone.  
  
  
The gods had heard his prayers and the prayers of another, and had vowed to seal the world in safety to all travelers except those of the house of Vegeta and the Gate keeper herself.  
  
  
'Don't leave me alone,' he cried in his mind. Mirai opened his eyes to see what progress they were making and saw something materializing next to his aunt's body. It looked like another body.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Lita sat on the ground and meditated on her powers when suddenly she felt a sharp pain in her side. Her hand flew to the spot that hurt and when she pulled it away, she saw blood.  
  
  
'What in the world is going on?' She felt herself being sucked out of the white-walled world she had been living in for the last few months it seemed.  
  
  
"Someone! Help!" No one came and her cries echoed through the walls.   
  
  
She could feel pain again...a familiar pain, that she hadn't felt in a long time. Lita saw her cuts from the battle with Sarenia were slowly starting to open as her body became translucent.  
  
  
The Amazon was on the verge of passing out from the pain and a figure was slowly starting to shape in her mind. Blue eyes stared at her intensely and she called for help one last time before passing out.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Mirai had been watching the figure slowly start to materialize before his eyes. It was a woman who was larger than the one he was currently healing. Brown eyes met his and he felt a tugging at his heart.  
  
  
Help me...  
  
  
He distinctively heard the voice in his mind. He didn't see her lips move and then he felt her fall into the sweet depths of a blackout.  
  
  
"Mom, we need a senzu shot now!"  
  
  
Lita was bleeding everywhere. Cuts adorned her body everywhere, bruises marking the places that weren't covered. Bulma jogged to the bedside and found 2 girls instead of one, causing her to gasp.   
  
  
"No time for that! Give it to the other girl. We're losing her and fast." Bulma had long since found out a way to turn the senzu bean into a liquid so those who couldn't eat it could get it anyway. She injected the needle through the dark, tanned flesh of the strange girl and pushed the juices of 2 senzu beans into her body.  
  
  
The purple-haired prince couldn't understand why he felt so desperate to save this girl who lay bleeding on the bed, a girl he didn't even know.  
  
  
"More! She needs more. That's not enough!"  
  
  
Bulma knew that her son was able to sense energy levels so she trusted him and ran for another needle. In seconds she was back and injected Lita again with the green liquid.  
  
  
By that time, both saiyans were exhausted and had to either stop or black out. Lita was healing slowly but surely, most of the major wounds were gone and the bones were no longer broken in her body. Bruises and light pink scars remained, but that was it. Both girls were resting peacefully and the three that were still awake decided to rest themselves. Before shutting the door behind him, Mirai looked one last time at the brunette that had invaded his mind...and dare I say, his heart. 


	25. The Healing

WAAIIITT...I have a really quick request. I know that I am in some of your email address books, but I ask that you make sure to not forward things to echohunter1@hotmail.com. This email address is solely for fanfic-related materials. That's it. Personal emails are okay (cause I write back and forth to people). FORWARDS...NOT OKAY.  
  
Thank you,  
Echo Hunter  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
  
The purple-haired prince couldn't understand why he felt so desperate to save this girl who lay bleeding on the bed, a girl he didn't even know.  
  
  
"More! She needs more. That's not enough!"  
  
  
Bulma knew that her son was able to sense energy levels so she trusted him and ran for another needle. In seconds she was back and injected Lita again with the green liquid.  
  
  
By that time, both saiyans were exhausted and had to either stop or black out. Lita was healing slowly but surely, most of the major wounds were gone and the bones were no longer broken in her body. Bruises and light pink scars remained, but that was it. Both girls were resting peacefully and the three that were still awake decided to rest themselves. Before shutting the door behind him, Mirai looked one last time at the brunette that had invaded his mind...and dare I say, his heart.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 25: THE HEALING  
  
  
  
Lita woke up a few hours later and looked around at her surroundings. White walls met her eyes and lots of medical equipment. 'What happened?' she asked her self as her eyes searched for anything familiar. They stopped on the still body lying in the bed next to hers.   
  
"Serena?" whispered the Amazon. She didn't stir. Lita remembered learning how much energy Serena would lose when they were brought back. 'She always did like sleeping.' Lita decided to follow her princess' example and lay her head back on her pillow. She was just as exhausted.   
  
  
4 DAYS LATER...  
  
  
Serena woke from a restful sleep. She felt her body resisting attempts to move, but her mind was refreshed and invigorated so all cries of pain were pushed aside. She looked around and realized that she was in the medical wing nicknamed C4.  
  
  
'Looks like after all these years, Bulma hasn't really changed.' It was then that she saw Lita and then that she realized why the pain she felt during her drain was different this last time. Serena wiggled in her bed, still being hooked up to various tubes.   
  
  
The Bulma, from *her time*, had taught her how to remove the tubes and iv after she woke up so that's what she did. After placing them neatly on the tray next to her, she stood up and made her way to Lita's bed.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Mirai and Gohan were awake and in the living room talking and 'snacking'.  
  
  
"I dunno, Gohan. I know I saw a girl next to Serena, she had brown hair and bright green eyes and begged me to help her." His face wrinkled in confusion as he tried to grasp the fleeting memory of her appearance.  
  
  
"I don't remember seeing anyone there." Gohan had been too busy healing Serena that he hadn't noticed when the other girl appeared, or when Mirai was screaming to his mother to help her.  
  
  
"I know, I know. You keep telling me that...but she was so real." Bulma came trudging down the stairs in a pair of sweats and her hair tied up behind her.  
  
  
"What's up mom?" Bulma smiled at her son as she made her way to the kitchen.   
  
  
"Help me make some food. The girls are awake."  
  
  
"How did you know?"  
  
  
"Sam."  
  
  
"The girls?"  
  
  
The boys got up and helped Bulma prepare a rather large meal. Neither were really accustomed to Serena's eating habits and neither knew about the new girl's (assuming there was one), but they didn't voice it. With Bulma, they learned to just obey.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Serena gently woke her sleeping friend. Lita opened her eyes and saw Serena standing above her. She blinked rapidly, making an attempt to adjust to the light of the room. When she saw Serena, she wasn't quite sure that she was actually, *technically* alive. Her arm reached out beside her and stretched to touch the image of her golden-haired friend.  
  
  
Serena knew what she was thinking and put her own hand up.   
  
  
"I can feel you!" Lita sat up and squeezed Serena, ignoring the complaints her body was making.  
  
  
  
  
Bulma walked thru the metal sliding doors to find Serena talking to whom she suspected was one of her senshi. "Hi ladies," she said, making her presence known to them.  
  
  
Serena jumped in surprise and smiled when she saw it was only Bulma. Lita, with as much strength she could muster, got off the bed and stood protectively in front of her princess as she followed the movements of the two men carrying trays of food. Serena knew that her friend was confused and was only trying to protect her.  
  
  
Putting her hand on a shoulder, she spoke quietly to Lita, "They're friends." The small flame of battle in the tall girl's eyes, slowly went out as she relaxed. She trusted Serena, and sat back on the bed, not taking her eyes off of a certain purple-haired young man.   
  
  
Young was right...  
  
  
In fact, he was about 10 years too young.  
  
  
Serena felt tension in the air...a sort of familiar tension that she, herself, had felt when first coming into contact with...  
  
  
"We brought you food. I know how much you must like to eat and don't know how much your friend likes to eat, so we just brought a whole lot of everything."  
  
  
Serena smiled and tried not to think of the lover she had left at home. 'Oh Goku...' her thoughts trailed off until the girl beside her nudged her softly in the side.   
  
  
Lita saw the far off look in the blonde's eyes and knew what she must have been thinking about. She had been, after all, in Serena's mind for the last few months.  
  
  
"He'll be just fine. I know he misses you too." Serena softly smiled and they turned their attention to the piles of food that lay before them.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
3 DAYS LATER...  
  
  
Serena and Lita had finished their meal and felt stronger from the nourishment they just received. Her thoughts again wandered off to Goku, who she missed terribly. It had been a week...or had it? She had lost track of time. All she knew was that she couldn't be with him right now.  
  
  
Gohan and Mirai took the two girls out for a walk, well, for a fly and they cheered up.   
  
  
"When do you think you'll be fully recovered?" Gohan asked the woman in his arms.   
  
  
"Oh I don't know," Serena said, nonchalantly. Suddenly she began to wriggle in Gohan's arms. "Gohan! Is that the lake you made?!" Gohan nodded as Serena pointed at it from above, signaling that she wanted to get closer to it. 4 people slowly descended from the blue sky and landed in the dirt next to the water.   
  
  
"What happened here?" asked Lita, referring to the planet's state of being.  
  
  
"Horrible monsters called androids came and destroyed my planet. We're slowly trying to rebuild it."  
  
  
Lita couldn't say anything. No words of comfort, no apologies for things she couldn't prevent...nothing. She had gained enough strength in the last three days she had been...reawakened, we shall call it, and felt it was time to show Serena what she was capable of.   
  
  
"Serena, watch this." Serena watched attentively as Lita knelt to the ground. A green aura began to surround her body and she concentrated it and sent it to her right hand, which was touching the sod. Lita could feel the power course through her being, into her hand and onto the ground and as she opened her green eyes, she watched as life began to appear around the large source of water.  
  
  
Grass began to grow around the lake, looking like it was healing the damage that had killed all forms of life, except ocean-life, on the planet her purple-haired boy called home. As she stood up, Lita watched the green grass and pretty, little flowers bloom around the circumference of the lake, about 20 feet out-away from the water's edge.  
  
  
Mirai was overjoyed to see his home slowly being reborn, and with the help of a stranger nonetheless. Serena asked Gohan to take her somewhere else, leaving Lita with Mirai.  
  
  
Lita, he won't hurt you. I promise. Be nice to him, please? The aforementioned looked around to find her friend's face, but couldn't find it.  
  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
  
"Serena...I could've sworn I just heard her voice."  
  
  
Mirai smiled. He knew about Serena from his family in the past. "She's a telepath. You probably heard her in your mind."  
  
  
'Duh, retard! How do you think she's been talking to you the whole time you were in her head?' Lita blamed her lack of sense on the fact that she still wasn't completely whole.   
  
  
Turning her attention back to Mirai, she asked, "Would you show me more of your planet?" They continued to fly around for the next few hours as Mirai gave Lita a tour of what him and Gohan had accomplished so far. It had been a year since the androids had been killed in his time and everything was still in disrepair.  
  
  
While Lita was flying in the rather strong arms of a rather wonderful person, she couldn't help but think of her predicament.   
  
  
She was 27.  
  
  
He was 18.  
  
  
But his eyes told her different.  
  
  
Trunks may have had the body of an 18 year old, but with the horrors he had to live with, his mind had been forced to leave his body behind and mature at a different, faster pace.   
  
  
Mentally, he was older than her.  
  
  
Emotionally, it was a tie between boy and man.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Serena was still considerably weak, but then again, she had 7 other people to take care of as well as herself. There were 2 more people inside of her that required vast amounts of energy and she already knew who was to be next.  
  
  
Gohan had flown to a spot near a river that he and his father went to a lot in his time. They sat down on the bank and talked. "Yeah...we used to come fishing over here all the time. We'd catch huge fish and then we'd have to drag them home." His face lit up as the memories came. More memories came and his face sagged a bit.  
  
  
"What's the matter sweetheart?" Serena put a hand on his arm to let him know she was there if he needed her.  
  
  
"Nothing. Just thinking of how my mom used to yell at me and dad all the time." He shook his head. "Oh the memories." Gohan's heart healed as he told Serena stories of his mom and her magic frying pan, schoolwork, how she was the strongest woman in the world at one point in time.   
  
  
As Gohan laughed and cried at the stories he was telling her about his mother, Serena comforted him as best as she could. She, in turn, told him about how she had to leave her family to find her love. Serena cried as she relayed to him how she had to wipe memories of her out of existence back home, and how only her senshi were able to remember her. She wasn't even allowed to leave memories with her best friend, Molly. To Serena, nothing in her eyes could have made him a weaker man after seeing his display of emotions. She now knew how he easily beat Cell and all those other monsters. He hadn't lost his sensitive side after all those battles, but increased them instead. Love equals power, Serena always told her scouts, and Gohan could easily be the most powerful out of all the fighters if he needed to be.  
  
  
After their healing session, Serena and Gohan walked away from their spot and found that they had indeed grown closer. They had both loved, lost and lived and now they had a friendship that could rival anyone's. Gohan now trusted Serena with his father's happiness and was more than willing to welcome her into the family.  
  
  
Someone smiled in heaven as they watched Serena listen to Gohan's life stories. She laughed, cried, got angry and felt pain and joy as his adventure tales went on and on. It was near dark when they realized what time it was.   
  
  
Chi Chi smiled. One tear rolled down her cheek, then another and soon many tears followed down her face and gently onto earth. Her son was finally healing. After running away from her death this all these years, an angel had come and helped him to accept it and live on.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Serena and Gohan barely stepped in to the living room of CC before a terrestrial downpour ensued. They were greeted by 3 faces at the table.  
  
  
"I was wondering when you would come home! Come. Lita's made us *real* food!" Bulma laughed. It had been a long time indeed since she had eaten a hand-made meal. She was in heaven.   
  
  
"Lita cooked?!" Serena ran to the table, amazing everyone with her speed. She devoured plate after plate, her Saiyan and Lunarian appetite conquering all rational thoughts.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Bulma had informed the little group that it had been two weeks since their arrival and Serena felt it was time to go home. She missed her two little trouble-makers and her one big baby. She was ready. The group of 5 stood on the dirt lawn of CC and hugged Bulma goodbye.  
  
  
Bulma, used to having her son and his friend come and go as they please, hugged them without tears. It was the two females that accompanied them that drew out the moisture in her eyes. She wiped her face with the back of her hand and sniffled.   
  
  
"You come back and visit any time you want!" Bulma told each girl.   
  
  
As Serena hugged Bulma with all her might, she whispered, "Don't worry, we will." As she slowly pulled away from the future version of her best friend, Bulma could have sworn she saw a slight glint of mischief in her eyes.  
  
  
"Okay."  
  
  
Serena remembered a certain gift that was given to her before she transformed into Sailor Cosmos.  
  
  
'I, Princess of Pluto, Daughter of Chronos, Keeper of the Gates of Time and Space, bestow the gift of Foresight and the Power of Travel.'  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Sailor Pluto heard a voice whisper in her head, 'Pluto, we're coming'. She knew it was her princess. She watched the contents of a dimensional window very carefully. There was Serena and Lita, along with the future form of her best friend, Gohan-who looked a bit different, and her best friend's son, (who had been slipping back and forth through time).  
  
  
Trista watched as Serena lifted and turned her palm outward, facing her (Trista). "Gates of Time, Open and grant us passage." To everyone's surprise, except Pluto's of course, a black warp hole opened before their very eyes. They could see a dark mist swirling on the other side of the hole.   
  
  
Mirai and Gohan had never seen anything like this before. What kind of power did this girl have if she could command space and time? Mirai watched as Lita walked through without a second thought.  
  
  
"Lita! Wait...don't go in there!"   
  
  
Gohan watched as Serena walked in to the dark hole as well. Seconds later, her head peeked through. "Are you guys coming too, or would you like me to hold your hands?"  
  
  
Of course, with their Saiyan Pride, they walked forward and very cautiously into the black hole, waving a final time at the blue-haired woman on the other side. The two demi-saiyans couldn't even see a foot in front of them, when something grabbed their arms.  
  
  
Gohan and Mirai, out of sheer reflex, grabbed the hand that was clutching theirs and brought them around by the neck, a ki ball in hand.  
  
  
"Jeez...*cough cough* you guys really need to lighten up. You know that?"   
  
  
Gohan muttered apology after apology and made sure that Serena was okay. Lita on the other hand was not being so cooperative.   
  
  
"Let me go! I said I was fine!"  
  
  
"Fine then!"  
  
  
Serena led the group through the mists, being able to see through them clearly. The Silver Crystal is what put this fog here in the first place. Now that it was *her*, she could see perfectly fine.  
  
  
Gohan got nervous walking blindly while Mirai didn't seem in the least bit worried, and Lita just kept quite while walking beside Serena.  
  
  
"I don't understand how you can see through all this stuff. I've been here how many times and STILL get lost!"  
  
  
"Are you sure you know where you're going?"  
  
  
Serena turned around and reassured Gohan that they were not lost. She knew exactly where they were. "Just a few more seconds and we should be there..." her voice trailed off as she saw what she was looking for.   
  
  
On the ground were circles of different colors to represent the 9 different Senshi. Lita let out her sigh of relief when she saw the teleportation ring under her feet. There she stood on her own green circle with the sign of Jupiter. A large, ancient looking door loomed in front of them, one that was all too familiar to the girls, but very alien to the boys.   
  
  
"Where are we?" Mirai asked. The two boys got in fighting positions when they heard an unfamiliar voice answer.  
  
  
"You are at the gates of Time and Space. Here, there is no beginning and no end." There was an eeriness to the words she spoke because Mirai couldn't figure out exactly what she meant when she said that. Pluto kneeled on one knee before her princess. "Welcome your majesty."  
  
  
Serena laughed. "Get up, Pluto! I can't believe you're still doing that!" The woman with jade-colored hair rose and chuckled.   
  
  
"And I can't believe that you still think I'll ever stop." Gohan acknowledged her as a friend of Serena's and decided to loosen up a bit.  
  
  
"I came this way because I'm too weak to teleport," she said getting right to the point.   
  
  
"I know, princess. I've been waiting, though I'm rather surprised you didn't come a bit earlier. Someone's missed you quite a lot and has threatened my best friend to try to get to you."  
  
  
Serena looked into her friend's wise eyes. "I know. We had issues to resolve before I could come home." She smiled and waved her friends over. "Let me introduce everyone. This," she said pointing to the guy with black hair, "is Gohan, and this is Mirai Trunks."  
  
  
Pluto's eyebrow raised. "I am well aware of who this young man is. He seems to be racking up the frequent flyer miles, although why I never stop him is beyond me. I guess I'm not supposed to, everything has its purpose."  
  
  
"How do you know me?" Trunks was curious and began to feel a little more wary of the situation.  
  
  
"I am the guardian of the Gates of Time and you, my friend, have been traveling way too much. It is not safe for you to keep coming and going as you do. You need to learn a different way. Serena will teach you."  
  
  
"I still don't understand how you know my name and that I travel through time."  
  
  
"There are many things that you don't and will not know about me. I will tell you this, however. I watch things from my post, making sure that time keeps its balance. I am a watcher, a learner and I always see you slipping through the portals. Through the windows of time, I see all and am here to keep peace. That is all you need to know."  
  
  
Oddly enough, Mirai found this enough to satisfy him. Weird.  
  
  
Serena was getting a bit impatient. She wanted to return to the home of Goku's arms. In his arms, she felt safe and loved. Every time they were apart, she could feel the strain on her heart. It was the beginning of a bond and she knew it, and could do nothing to keep it from happening, not that she wanted to.   
  
  
"I need to go home Pluto. I am too tired to teleport."  
  
  
"Understood your Highness."   
  
  
Pluto walked into the center of the circle and waved her long staff in the air while chanting something in a foreign tongue that no one seemed to understand but the blonde woman. A large rectangle appeared in front of them, slowly showing them Capsule Corp's front lawn. The rectangle took the shape of a door and Serena inched closer.   
  
  
The portal back home was level on the ground, guaranteeing there would be no 30 foot drop like normal. "It's safe this time princess. I promise. You won't fall from the sky."   
  
  
Lita had been looking at this new world she would be calling home soon, although the title of home had been somewhat claimed by the battle-scarred earth that Mirai came from. Being strong for her princess and best friend, Lita stepped through the portal.  
  
  
Serena could feel Mirai stiffen as he watched Lita walk through the portal. The lens bended as she walked through and waved to Serena, showing her that it was perfectly safe.  
  
--------------  
  
  
SOMEWHERE DEEP IN THE FOREST...  
  
  
Goku was out beating himself for letting her escape him. It had been 2 weeks since he had seen her and he was suffering without her. The power of the growing bond had taken its toll on the strong warrior and he sparred every day for hours with his friend, Vegeta, to try to make him feel better. Goku would go home at the end of the day, too tired to think of anything but sleep.  
  
  
He decided to take a rest from his self-torture and just as he sat down, he felt something strange happening by his home. Goku lifted into the air and headed for the cluster of dome-shaped buildings. Slowly but surely, he felt a strange new ki, very weak, the stronger ki of his son and Mirai and finally, the one he had been waiting for.  
  
  
* FLASHBACK *  
  
  
Goku had been searching frantically after he felt Serena's ki disappear. He rushed into the house looking for the one person that would probably know her location.  
  
  
"Bulma! Where is Serena?"  
  
  
Bulma was wiping down the kitchen table and straightening the chairs. "She went away for a bit," Bulma replied indifferently, not moving her gaze from the wood work.   
  
  
She could hear Goku growling and the frustration in his heart. Bulma knew that he would *never* hurt her, but being in the presence of an angry full-blooded-in-a-rut Saiyan was not on her list of favorite things to do.  
  
  
"Where is she! Tell me now or I'll..."  
  
  
Bulma cut him off, anger taking over her mind. "Or you'll what, huh? That's what I thought. The reason she went away in the first place was because of you. She went after Gohan because she knew he was hurt and needed help to heal, something that you've neglected to do! All your son has done was love you and help the girl that you love when she passed out! And what do you do to repay him? Accuse him of trying to steal your mate, who by the way isn't even your mate." Bulma sucked in air before starting up on him again. "I can't believe you...being blind to your own son's pain. What kind of a father are you? When he comes back, the first thing I want to hear come out of your mouth is an apology! DO YOU HEAR ME, KAKKAROT!" Bulma was steaming angry, but knew that if anyone could get Gohan to open up and relax a bit it would be the golden-haired tenshi that Goten had found the very first day he met her.   
  
  
* END FLASHBACK *  
  
  
Goku's senses overflowed as he felt her love and warmth wash over his body that had grown cold without her touch. As he neared the clearing of CC's property, he saw 4 people, the two boys and 2 females.   
  
  
Serena could feel him coming, she could always feel him. The strength that was her soul was getting nearer. Her heart did flips and she grew weak in anticipation of him being near her again.  
  
  
Goku landed about 5 feet away from her and slowly walked, afraid that if he moved too fast, she would fade away like she did in his dreams. "Serena." It was barely audible, yet she heard it and all the underlying passion in it.   
  
  
He was in arm's length of her, but something smelled different to his nose. *She* smelled different...like another man...  
  
  
...his son!  
  
  
Goku growled and Serena realized what it was about.   
  
  
"Why does she smell like you! Did you touch her?" he said glaring at his son. Gohan stepped back, forgetting his father was like that. Gohan had also told Serena about the last break-out his father had and Serena was beyond mad at him for that already.  
  
  
"Back off, Goku!" Serena's angry eyes stopped Goku from doing anything, including breathing.  
  
  
He couldn't believe that she had just yelled at *him* of all people.  
  
  
"The reason I smell like him, JERK, is because I ran out of clean clothes, so he let me use some of his! Do you have a problem with that?!" Everyone could clearly see how she was related to Vegeta with that temper. Serena knew that Gohan needed to be protected even against his own father sometimes. "Now what do you say to Gohan?"  
  
  
Lita was beyond amazed that Serena even had the guts to stand up to a man so large in stature. She wouldn't have even *thought* about doing such a thing and here was her best friend, who was quite smaller than she, yelling at someone who could easily beat her down.  
  
  
If looks could kill, Goku would have been dead a long time ago. He sat there trying to decide whether to submit to pride or love. It was an easy decision, especially since he wasn't Vegeta.   
  
  
He cleared his head and spoke slowly. "I'm sorry son. I just can't help it sometimes...its like something else is taking over me and I can't control it yet." Goku growled in frustration as he held back the overwhelming desire to battle against his son. All aggressive thoughts subsided once Serena launched herself into his arms.  
  
  
"Thank you Goku." She teased him with her lips and pulled away before things got too hot. "Let's go home."  
  
  
Goku easily lifted her into his arms princess style. "As you wish, princess." 


	26. Nightmares

Sorry for the long wait. I had to move and pack all in one week. It was quite...an experience. Well, I know its short, but its progress.  
  
  
Echo  
  
  
umarekawari - rebirth  
kawari - substitute  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
  
"The reason I smell like him, JERK, is because I ran out of clean clothes, so he let me use some of his! Do you have a problem with that?!" Everyone could clearly see how she was related to Vegeta with a temper like that. Serena knew that Gohan needed to be protected even against his own father sometimes. "Now what do you say to Gohan?"  
  
  
Lita was beyond amazed that Serena even had the guts to stand up to a man so large in stature. She wouldn't have even *thought* about doing such a thing and here was her best friend, who was quite smaller than she, yelling at someone who could easily beat her down.  
  
  
If looks could kill, Goku would have been dead a long time ago. He sat there trying to decide whether to submit to pride or love. It was an easy decision, especially since he wasn't Vegeta.   
  
  
He cleared his head and spoke slowly. "I'm sorry son. I just can't help it sometimes...its like something else is taking over me and I can't control it yet." Goku growled in frustration as he held back the overwhelming desire to battle against his son. All aggressive thoughts subsided once Serena launched herself into his arms.  
  
  
"Thank you Goku." She teased him with her lips and pulled away before things got too hot. "Let's go home."  
  
  
Goku easily lifted her into his arms princess style. "As you wish, princess."   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 26: NIGHTMARES   
  
  
  
Things almost went back to normal after Serena returned to the present. Mirai and Gohan had returned to Mirai's dimension, which they named Umarekawari or 'rebirth'. He claimed that there was more work to do. Gohan knew his father was in somekind of phase that he didn't want anything to do with, so he stayed by Mirai's side telling everyone that they would be back before they knew it. Serena gave the boys a preset. It was a copy of the book of Saiyans. She had made it for the younger ones so they would be able to learn about their heritage and culture, thus preparing them for their future.   
  
  
It was yesterday that the boys had left for Umarekawari and right now, Serena was in Bulma's lab, helping her on the secret project for Vegeta. It had been two weeks without any major problems to her health or energy, but still she didn't have enough energy to be moving around a lot. Serena had grown a bit stronger without Lita in her, taking up a lot of her energy. Lita, one of the strongest Senshi, controlling the power of lightning and plant life, required a lot of energy, making Serena tired most of the time she was healing.  
  
  
Her love life was going very...slow. She couldn't do much with Goku because any sort of activities with Saiyans normally required a lot of energy that Serena just wasn't capable of attaining anymore. The first night she had been back, she had returned to Goku's bed but all she was capable of doing was sleeping in it. Even though he didn't want to accept the fact, Serena and he couldn't create a bond between them because she probably wouldn't be able to recover. There was a great chance that she might not even live through it because of her low ki.   
  
  
Not wanting to sit by and do nothing, he spent his time romancing her  
  
  
'One boy down, one more to go!' During the whole time, the princess of two worlds wasn't really thinking about how much she would miss her friends. She was thinking about how happy she had been since she came to this world and how she would like her friends to find joy in living here as well. 'Those two won't know what hit them when I'm through.'  
  
  
Serena had explained to Bulma what her friend was like and her plan to hook her up with Gohan. Bulma was ecstatic and already had ideas running through her head. It was the end of the week and Serena's health was digressing. Bulma had Arem play Serena's nursemaid after finding out her extensive medical knowledge. There were many things about the modern world that Arem had no idea of, but there were many things of the old world that equaled its healing abilities.  
  
  
Bulma had insisted that Serena use a wheelchair or some other means of support besides herself. Having the proud Saiyan genes in her, she refused, not liking the idea of being dependent when she could be doing it herself. She had caused Bulma a lot of gray hairs, but refused the offered help. Of course when Vegeta had heard about this, he totally supported her.  
  
  
"Bulma..." a shaky voice called over the intercom. "Bulma. It's me, Arem. Serena's ki level has dropped very low. I think its time again."  
  
  
Before Bulma could say anything, Goku had appeared by her side along with her husband. When she looked, she noticed that Vegeta wasn't hanging on to Goku like he usually did when they did the instant transmission.  
  
  
"How..."  
  
  
Vegeta smirked. "You can't possibly think that I would depend on Kakkarot for everything could you?"  
  
  
Arem and Bulma got right to work on Serena, attaching the necessary tubes and needles to her arms. After 10 minutes of still time, Goku was beginning to wonder what was going on.  
  
  
"Don't worry, Goku. She's just recovering. I'm pretty sure something will happen pretty soon. Trunks and Goten quietly stepped into the room, taking their places next to the blue and purple-haired ladies. They were powered up to SS2 and waiting to be a part of the action that they knew was coming.   
  
  
Goten quietly stepped down from the stool at Serena's head and walked towards another bed not too far away. On his way back, Vegeta questioned him about his actions.  
  
  
"Someone else is coming."  
  
  
Vegeta had no time to comment. "Dad, you and Goku need to power up to level 2," came Trunks' tone-less voice. Obeying in faith, Goku and Vegeta teleported outside to power up, to prevent major destruction to C4 and then returned to Serena's bedside.   
  
  
When they returned, Serena was shaking and the little boys were standing over her already transferring energy to her body. Goten could read his father's thoughts and his body language.   
  
  
"Not yet dad. Just wait, we'll give you the signal." Bulma and Arem stood to the side, watching the readings and listening to the beeping of their machines. A long beeping sound killed the silence and sent everyone except the two boys into a panic.   
  
  
"Serena's flat-lined. Quick, get me the fibs and get the other IV set up for her." The boys' ki levels sky rocketed and the two older men jumped to their sides. A few seconds with the extra help got the rhythmic beeping started again.  
  
  
"Now!" came little cries for help. Vegeta and Goku stepped to Serena's side, next to their sons, and lay their hands over her passing their energy on to her. After a good 10 minutes the silver and blue aura around Serena began to split. Once they were completely separated, the blue lights settled onto to the empty bed that Goten had pushed to Serena's side.  
  
  
It began to take shape and as the males concentrated on Serena, Bulma and Arem watched stunned as a woman appeared in what used to be an empty bed. Long blue hair spilled onto the floor and a pale body covered in a silver toga lay still.   
  
  
"Dad. Help Ami." Assuming that Ami was the stranger, Goku moved over to her and started transferring his energy. He noticed how pretty she was and a random thought about her and Gohan looking nice together popped into his head for a few seconds. The girl under his hand began to stir so he took it as a sign to stop. Serena's heart rate and ki level returned to normal for her at her current stage so they stopped transferring energy. Bulma moved in and checked her over patients before declaring them well enough to leave.  
  
  
The next 4 days were spent in slumber for Serena and Ami. Lita came in everyday to check on them and to help however she could. Everyone in the house was coming to appreciate Lita very much because of the way she dealt with her stress. She cooked and cooked from morning till night until she was too exhausted to cook any more. That was the only way she could keep her mind off of worrying, something she knew Serena wouldn't want her to do.  
  
  
4 days didn't seem like a short enough time to be reunited with her friends. Bulma subtly found ways to praise her future son. She knew of Serena's match-making plans and totally supported the people she thought should be paired up.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
IN ANOTHER PLACE IN THE UNIVERSE...  
  
  
Queen Serenity and Chi Chi sat in the sky, watching Gohan and Mirai rebuilding their lost world.  
  
  
"Chi Chi, your son is growing to be a very handsome young man. Him and Prince Trunks are growing to be such gentlemen, very responsible."  
  
  
Chi Chi sighed as she looked to earth's surface for her son. She watched him building shelters for the handful of people they had found so far in Japan. Mirai and Bulma had been so excited to see some of their friends that had survived the massive destruction the androids caused.  
  
  
The two women had been watching the boys for the last two years work on the devastated planet. They had made great progress and seemed to have lost track of time.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
PRESENT DBZ UNIVERSE  
  
  
To say that Ami was astounded by the technology in this world was a great understatement. Every minute not spent sleeping or recovering was spent at Bulma's side. She had her nose in everything trying to learn how things were done in this time. The capsules took up most of her first two days. She had been studying the plans for the capsules until headaches came. The first time she saw one it was like a child with a new toy. Bulma could only laugh. She forgot what life was like before the world had been introduced to capsules.  
  
  
Serena was bed-ridden since Ami's return. Bringing Lita and Ami back had taken its toll on Serena's health. Goku suggested that she take the Senzu beans to speed up recovery time, but she told him that it was the power of the crystal, magic powers and not physical strength that was making her weak.   
  
  
One day, while Serena was reading in bed, Bulma came in and gave her a report on their new friend. Arem could spend about 2 hours outside now with lighter-shaded lenses. Bulma was surprised when she had even attempted to go outside without them. It was a dark, cloudy day when she had, but it was still more than what she saw through sunglasses. Her improvement was great and after one month, she could walk through the house without sun-glasses.   
  
  
The boys had missed Serena since she had left for Umarekawari, which they nicknamed Kawari. Trunks and Goten brought Serena wild flowers every morning before she woke up and would stay with her after their long days of training. At night, after training all day, they would go to Serena's room and teleport her outside so she wouldn't get depressed from staying in there all day. Even though all she did was sleep, she still missed seeing the green and colorful world of nature.  
  
  
Lita and Ami spent a lot of the day with her, but at night they retreated back to Bulma's house, across the yard. They were well-informed about Serena's situation with Goku and made sure that they were out of the way when he came home. Goku kept his little tradition of feeding Serena breakfast in bed every morning and made it home every night at a reasonable hour to feed her dinner. As the days passed, Serena's love for her Saiyan grew more and more.   
  
  
Serena couldn't wait for the day that she would finally be strong enough to bond with Goku. She could feel it in her heart everyday when she woke alone and every night when she waited for him to come home, that he was her soul-mate. He was the one that would love her for the rest of her life and take care of her. Goku was the one man in the entire universe that would make her absolutely happy. Now that she thought about it, he had it pretty easy. She wasn't hard to please. That kept her amused for the rest of the week.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Lita continued to train under the boys' wings, growing stronger and stronger than she was after she went through training in the "Training Room" at the Gates. After the last two weeks of training, she had far surpassed Amara in strength.   
  
  
With the differences and advances in technology, the kitchen barely changed. The only thing that was different in this time was the way food was made. You just asked for it and it appeared and if Sam couldn't make it, you just told him the recipe and it would appear. She kept herself busy by training with the boys, cooking lunch for the women and entertaining thoughts about a certain purple-haired young man who she hadn't seen in a long time.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
SERENA'S DREAM  
  
  
Serena was on the moon again, in the moon palace to be exact. As she looked around the room, she noticed she was in the ballroom. Couples swirled around the room, the scene looking oddly familiar.   
  
  
As she looked around for anything familiar, she saw a dark-haired man dancing with her look-alike. Her eyes widened when she realized that this was the night of the attack on the Moon Kingdom. Serena ran to the dual thrones to try to warn her mother. Her attempts were in vain when she realized that she couldn't be heard.  
  
  
Serena tried to warn the rest of the people in the room of the on-coming attack, but no ear could hear her screams of warning. She closed her eyes as she tried to push away the memories of what happened that night. When she opened them again, she was in the battle field on the moon's surface.  
  
  
She watched for the second time as Beryl's forces attacked the Moon Kingdom. She looked around for Vegeta and Kakkarot before remembering that they were fighting their own battle on Vegeta-sei.  
  
  
Serena watched in horror as her friends fell, one by one, to their deaths. Out in the courtyard, there were two people still standing. Darien was kneeling over his lost love, mourning for her as the evil one descended from the sky. Serena looked up from her kneeling position over her cousin's body.  
  
  
"Beryl." Serena remembered the hate that was coursing through her veins when she saw Beryl for the first and last time.   
  
  
"Hello, Princess Serena. What a pleasure to finally meet you." Beryl eyed up the princess that had surpassed her in beauty and grace long before she was born.  
  
  
"Wish I could say the same." Serena said, uncharacteristically.   
  
  
Beryl looked over to where the prince was and feigned a hurt look. "Oh dear. What happened there?"  
  
  
Darien turned around with the most disgusted look on his face. "You. Will. Pay."  
  
  
The red-haired witch laughed at him as if he were the most amusing thing she had ever seen. "Dear boy! You amuse me. I have a proposition for you. Join me and I will give you anything you could ever want!"  
  
  
Serena screamed Darien's name when she heard the witch's voice. Hearing Serena's voice broke him out of the spell Beryl had put him under. Blue met blue and his senses returned.  
  
  
"Too late, witch." Serena watched as Beryl flinched at his words. "You've already taken away the only thing I've ever wanted."  
  
  
Beryl laughed again and an enraged Terran Prince pulled his gleaming sword out of it's sheath. "My dear, charming Prince Darien. I have not taking everything of yours away, but I could if you want me to!" Serena watched as Beryl's gaze drifted to...herself, her past self. She remembered the feeling of horror that passed through her stomach when Beryl looked at her over a thousand years ago.   
  
  
Darien noticed what Beryl was talking about and felt his rage surge even higher as Serena started backing away.  
  
  
"Don't you dare!"  
  
  
He lunged at her while trying to protect the only family he had left. His princess and best friend. Darien powered up and fought a battle he knew he was going to lose. He was already past exhausted from having fought a 4-hour battle with her minions and she hadn't even lifted a finger in the battle, not counting the hand she used to drink her blood-red wine.  
  
  
Serena watched in horror as her best friend protected her until the bitter end. A child-hood promise resurfaced in her memories.   
  
  
* FLASHBACK *  
  
It was 9-year-old Prince Darien's first time visiting the Moon Kingdom. His mother, Queen Gaia, was in a meeting with the other 'Royals' from the sister planets in the Silver Alliance.  
  
  
As far as matters of the Alliance, he didn't have to be a part of them. He was here to make friends with the young Moon Princess. The palace was extremely safe and so the youngsters were allowed to go anywhere they wished within the palace walls.  
  
  
Prince Darien had always loved nature and had heard tales of the gardens on the moon. They were filled with many exotic plants both native and alien to the silver white planet. He followed a worn path that led from a patch of moon tigers at the entrance to a section of lilies from earth.   
  
  
He came across a square of striking blue flowers and bent down to smell them. As he sniffed the flowers, he could taste the sweetness on his tongue. Darien couldn't seem to get enough until he heard a soft cry coming from somewhere further in the garden. He quickly made his way, following his ears and heart to try to find the person or thing making the whining noise.  
  
  
The whining grew louder until he found a small girl sitting on a stone fountain with her head tucked into her hands. He carefully made his way to her side and inspected her. She had blonde hair that came to her shoulders and was wearing a small pink dress with white shoes.  
  
  
"What's the matter, small one?"  
  
  
Serena's head slowly rose and met the ocean blue eyes of the boy.  
  
  
"Raye said that if I didn't watch out then the boogie man would come after me and take me away."  
  
  
Darien felt his heart melt for this little girl and he pulled her into a hug. A feeling of protectiveness washed over him as he tried to soothe the little 5-year-old to his small body.  
  
  
"Don't worry little one. I promise I'll protect you."  
  
  
Serena wiped her eyes and looked up at her new friend. "You promise?"  
  
  
Darien smiled at her. "I promise, from now until forever."  
  
  
* END FLASHBACK *  
  
  
Serena screamed as she watched Darien fall under the dark queen's magic. She watched as her self from the past screamed as well as she watched her best friend die.   
  
  
'Not again!' "Darien!" She cried his name over and over again, long after she watched the princess kill herself with the same sword Darien held. She ran to her best friend's side and cried for him as he died again protecting her.  
  
  
Serena could feel someone behind her, calling to her.  
  
  
"Serena...Serena wake up."   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Goku was woken by the sound of Serena screaming. She hadn't had nightmares for a while and to have them start up again probably wasn't a good thing. He tried shaking her but it didn't work.   
  
  
"Darien! No!" Goku was getting angry at this Darien whose name she had been screaming for the last couple of minutes. He was apparently the one she was having a nightmare about.   
  
  
After several tries, he had finally waken her. When she opened her eyes and saw Goku there instead of Beryl, Serena latched on to him and sobbed into his chest. He sat up in bed and cradled Serena in his arms. He tried kissing her tears away but there were too many for him.   
  
  
"Serena, love, what's the matter?"  
  
  
"D...Darien."  
  
  
Goku growled at that name. It was that man who had made her cry.  
  
  
"She killed him. He died protecting me. I had to watch it again." Serena began hiccupping and Goku did his best to comfort her.   
  
  
Serena calmed when she felt his energy enter her body. As she pressed her head against him, the purring coming from his chest had a soothing effect, helping her to fall asleep again. Goku's tail wrapped around her upper leg protectively and his arms snaked around her stomach and chest and neither woke until morning.  
  
  
-------------- 


	27. Child of Earth

I am sooooo sorry for taking so long, especially to Rook Raven and Fair Drea, who have been encouraging me silently behind the scenes lol. I think I sent a chapter out during Christmas break…I think. I can't remember. Well, here is the chapter that I think everyone has been waiting for. If you don't think it's what it should be, just wait till the next couple come out or you can write it yourself :)  
  
Echo  
  
  
  
  
------------  
  
  
* LAST TIME *  
  
  
"Serena, love, what's the matter?"  
  
  
"D...Darien."  
  
  
Goku growled at that name. It was that man who had made her cry.  
  
  
"She killed him. He died protecting me. I had to watch it again." Serena began hiccupping and Goku did his best to comfort her.   
  
  
Serena calmed when she felt his energy enter her body. As she pressed her head against him, the purring coming from his chest had a soothing effect, helping her to fall asleep again. Goku's tail wrapped around her upper leg protectively and his arms snaked around her stomach and chest and neither woke until morning.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 27  
  
  
Goku woke up early and walked down to the kitchen. "Computer, call Vegeta." He looked at the time on the kitchen clock. 4:30 am. 'Vegeta should be awake by now.'  
  
  
A rugged voice answered.  
  
  
"Hey Vegeta. I'm not coming today. Serena's not well and I'm going to stay home with her."  
  
  
"Whatever, Kakkarot. You better take good care of my sister or else you will pay."  
  
  
Goku smiled. "I promise Vegeta."  
  
  
The line went dead and Goku began cooking breakfast like he normally did at this time. He carried the tray of mush (oatmeal) and toast upstairs to the room he and Serena shared and sat down on the bed. Serena stirred and her eyes opened to see Goku's half-naked form sitting on the bed next to her.  
  
  
"Good morning sunshine." He leaned over to kiss her good-morning and then lifted her to a sitting position.  
  
  
"I think I could get used to waking up like this." Goku just chuckled.  
  
  
"On the menu for today, your highness, is mush and toast with some orange juice. I hope you can keep it down today." Goku lifted the spoon to her mouth and helped her finish the entire bowl and piece of toast. He had eaten while making her breakfast so he wouldn't have to worry about himself. Goku looked at the small body under the sheets and wondered how she had managed to keep her petite shape. She hadn't moved out of bed very often except for when the boys took her outside at night. She bathed herself but that was about all the exercising she did.  
  
  
"Thank you, Goku."  
  
  
Serena lay down on her feather pillows to go back to sleep, her usual routine after breakfast. She closed her eyes and waited for Goku to leave. When she didn't hear his footsteps leaving she turned around and jumped. Goku was standing above her with his arms folded across his chest.  
  
  
"Goku! You nearly scared me to death!" She watched as a smirk crossed his lips.  
  
  
"I'm sorry." He apologized before pulling up a chair next to the bed. "Who's Darien?"  
  
  
"Huh?" The question was so random and so sudden that Serena didn't have the capability of putting an answer together.  
  
  
"I said, who's Darien? You were having a nightmare last night and you were screaming his name out and telling him to stop." Serena was confused by the jealousy and anger dancing in his eyes. "If he hurt you, even breathed on you, I swear I'll destroy him."  
  
  
Serena knew that he could and would if she didn't clear things up with him. "No! Don't hurt him. He hasn't done anything wrong." Her hands folded in her lap as she tried to find a way to tell him. "Long ago we were in a battle, we being my scouts and Darien. He was my protector and my best friend." Goku growled when he heard the last sentence. Serena grabbed his hand for the strength she knew Goku could give her.  
  
  
"We were having a ball one night and were attacked suddenly by an evil witch. I'm guessing it was at the same time that Vegeta-sei was being attacked. The battle was gory, the moon had never seen so much blood." Goku sat on the bed Indian-style and pulled her into her lap. He told her she could stop but she shook her head. "No. I have to tell you. Last night in my dream I had to watch it all over again. I had to live through the pain again. Everyone had died and Darien and I were the only two standing. Beryl had just killed his fiancée and was about to kill me but Darien fought her. I tried to tell him not to, but he made a promise to me that he would protect me forever and so he tried."  
  
  
"He tried?"  
  
  
The blonde nodded and continued talking. "He fought and protected me as best as he could but Beryl won in the end. I guess that could be why you heard me screaming his name. I had to watch my best friend die for the second time and couldn't do anything about it. I'm such a failure."  
  
  
"No you're not, Serena. You couldn't help what happened."  
  
  
Serena just shook her head. "I could have tried! I could have done something!" She sobbed in his arms until he pushed her at arms length.   
  
  
"What? What could you have done?"  
  
  
[ HERE ]  
  
  
Serena could feel the intensity of his stare. "What are you looking at?"  
  
  
"You." It was a simple answer, but it made her blush furiously. Insecurities from her teenage years crept up on her and she tried to hide them with the blanket.  
  
  
"I hope not," came her muffled reply. "There are so many other women..."  
  
  
She heard a growl and watched as the blanket was snatched from her weak grip. Goku was glaring at her.  
  
  
"Don't you ever say that about yourself, do you hear me? I don't want to hear you saying anything like that ever again!"  
  
  
Serena nodded dumbly as Goku relaxed a little more. He pulled her close to him and cupped her cheek in his large palm. "I'm sorry that you think that about yourself. I'm sorry that *I* let you even THINK that. Believe me when I tell you that you are the most beautiful creature I have ever laid eyes on." Just before her thoughts about him liking her only for her looks had the chance to breathe, Goku dashed them to pieces. "On the inside and out. I love you for your beautiful spirit that keeps me going every day, the enormous heart that you love me with..." Serena's heart swelled with emotion and eyes with tears as she heard the beautiful confession coming from the strongest man on the planet.   
  
  
Goku couldn't say any more no matter how hard he tried. Even if he wanted to, he couldn't because Serena had pulled him into a kiss. What started out as a chaste kiss soon heated up, much to Goku's liking. His rough hands roamed her smooth skin, causing shivers down Serena's spine. Goku knew where continuing would lead and knew that physically, Serena wouldn't be able to handle it presently. He regrettingly pulled away, before he would end up in unnecessary pain.   
  
  
Serena smiled apologetically. She wished that she could continue and finish the bond she knew was growing between them but thanked her stars that Goku had enough strength and will-power to stop them before they went too far. She knew it was selfish and cruel of her to depend on his self-restraint but she couldn't help herself. It had been a long while since she had last felt those feelings and those hand exploring her like they had been a few seconds ago.  
  
  
Her eyes drooped. "I'm sorry Goku. I shouldn't have..."  
  
  
Her head was lifted to meet Goku's ebony eyes. "Don't ever apologize for something so beautiful." He kissed her lightly on her swollen lips before lying down and pulling her with him.  
  
  
Serena chuckled when he started placing feathery kisses along her shoulder. "Don't you have to train right now?"  
  
  
Goku stopped his light assault. "I called Vegeta and told him that I was taking care of my mate. He gave me specific orders to take good care of you and I can only do that if I'm right here next to you. Besides, its about time we took a break from normal routine. Let's go back to sleep."  
  
  
Serena smiled and curled up next to Goku's warm body and fell back asleep.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
It had been one week and Serena's health was getting worse again. She fainted, what seemed, every 10 minutes. Most of her time was spent in C4 with Arem and Ami by her side while Goku was off training. The boys still took her outside every night and hoped she would stay awake. Serena hadn't said anything about who was coming next, but whoever it was required a lot of her energy.  
  
  
Goku hadn't left Serena's side for the full 3 weeks she had been sick. She had been having nightmares almost every other night and during the day she was too tired to do anything. Goku fed her his energy by holding her hand or keeping his arm around her at all times, which he didn't mind too much. He was curious as to who was taking up so much of her energy.  
  
  
Serena wouldn't let on to anyone who would be coming next. Ami had a sneaking suspicion but kept her mouth shut. Serena spent more time with her brother, Vegeta during the last week than she had in the last month. Goku was starting to feel the effects of having his energy being drained all the time. His strength increased a bit after getting used to it, but after two weeks, it did begin to take its toll on him. Vegeta, secretly, enjoyed his sister's presence. It reminded him of his step-mother, a person he knew he could always depend on.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
It was the fourth week, and the weather had been dreary. Serena was usually perky but this week she had been more introverted than usual. Where she used to be open with the way she was feeling, she now kept it to herself. In other words, she was more like Vegeta this week, minus the scowl. Of course every one noticed the change in her, especially her brother. When she held onto his arm for support, she didn't smile as freely or talk as much. Serena saved her voice unless she was answering others questions that she couldn't respond with a shrug or a nod of her head.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Serena thought it would be safe to take a day to spend with the boys. They were strong enough to sustain her during the day when she needed it and always knew what to do if an emergency came up. They came to pick her up after lunch and took her flying. Goten called Nimbus since Serena wasn't strong enough to fly on her own.  
  
  
The two teens took her flying through the garden she started in the forest. It was a 100 square foot plot of land she had tried to restore from the battle field it used to be. All the flowers and other greens were flourishing when they got there. Serena breathed in the beautiful scent as they passed it as they continued through the rest of the forest.  
  
  
The day was growing old and the sun was low in the sky when the boys turned Nimbus towards home. Serena was laughing at a joke that Goten just told her and Trunks.   
  
  
She stopped abruptly, yanking the boys to a stop with her.  
  
  
"What's the matter Tenshi?" Goten scanned her to look for signs of injury but couldn't find anything wrong with her.  
  
  
"It's...time..." Serena was breathing heavily and squeezing the boys' hands. Trunks looked at Goten and nodded his head. They teleported to C4 and yelled for Bulma.  
  
  
"Mom! Mom! We need you in C4! Serena's down again."  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
Bulma was in her garden with Arem when she heard her son's voice over the PA system. The two women stood up and ran for the medical wing of the mansion. When they got there, all four Saiyans were in the room already powered up and waiting to start transferring their energy.   
  
  
"What happened?" Bulma rushed to Serena's side and checked her vital signs. All were normal for these occurrences. Arem made herself busy by getting washcloths and her other medicines.  
  
  
Serena opened her eyes and looked around to see her loved ones around her. Lita, not knowing how to control her ki, stayed on the side and Ami was by Arem, typing away on her mini-computer.  
  
  
Serena moaned and grabbed her head. 'What is going on?' she thought as several pictures flashed through her mind of castles, princesses and other foreign memories. Feelings of loneliness and solitude filled her heart, which she couldn't understand at first. Serena came to realize that those weren't her own feelings, but they were the feelings of her friend, who was trying to come back to the real world.  
  
  
The men stepped up to Serena's right side and the boys stood at her head and feet. From past experience, they knew to leave room on her left for who ever was being transferred out of her. As Goku stood, getting ready, he could feel something was different about whoever was emerging from his silver-haired tenshi.  
  
  
His hand brushed her forehead. "How you holdin' up?"  
  
  
Serena smiled warmly at her gentle warrior. "I feel...okay..." Serena curled into a ball as another wave of pain came. Goku leaned forward and held her hand until she closed her eyes and fell into a coma-like state.  
  
  
"It's time," Goten said while moving closer to Serena.  
  
  
After a few minutes with her eyes closed, Serena began her usual moaning, tossing and turning. This was normal for everyone in the room, until her lips began moving, as if she were calling for someone. Goku listened closer to see if he could make out the name of the person she was calling for. He couldn't and grew more frustrated because of it.  
  
  
Serena's hand gripped his a little too tight for his liking. Vegeta saw Goku's discomfort and smirked.   
  
  
"What's the matter, Kakkarot? Is the onna hurting you?" he said in a mocking voice.  
  
  
"Shut up," Goku growled. Vegeta's smirk grew.  
  
  
SERENA'S DREAM ------------  
  
  
Serena found herself back in the Mountain Castle where her friends had been. As she looked around the room, she found them chained to the wall. She saw everyone except for Ami and Lita. 'Where are they?'   
  
  
Darien stirred and lifted his head. "Meat-ball head? Is that really you?"  
  
  
"Darien! You're still alive!"  
  
  
He flashed her one of his dazzling smiles. "Didn't think you'd be rid of me that easily did you?"  
  
  
She tried to get to him but something was holding her back. As she looked around, she noticed that her wings were black. "Why are my wings black?"  
  
  
"That's the color they turned when you were fighting Sarenia." Moaning was heard and they both turned their heads to see someone else waking up.   
  
  
"Mina!" Serena yelled for her friend.  
  
  
"Ow! My head!" Serena laughed but still couldn't move.  
  
  
"I thought you died!"  
  
  
"You saved us, but something's wrong with Darien."  
  
  
Darien shook his head at Mina but she ignored him. "What's wrong Mina?" Serena saw how Darien didn't want to talk about it, but Mina wouldn't say anything if she didn't think it wasn't important.  
  
  
"Darien has been fading and getting weaker. I'm really worried about him. He sometimes even bleeds for a while and then stops suddenly."  
  
  
"Mina…don't." Darien tried to stop her, but he was helpless, himself also being strapped to the wall alongside her.  
  
  
"Darien? Why didn't you call for me? I can help you."  
  
  
"I didn't want you to trouble yourself. Besides, you have other things to worry about like your life. I've caused you enough pain anyway."  
  
  
Serena began to glow purple with anger and with the power of Saturn. "You Jerk!" she spat. "You ROYAL JERK! How could you possibly think that I could live without you? You are my best friend in the entire universe! I can't believe that you could be so selfish as to think that I would be better off without YOU! Besides, would you so willingly leave Mina's alone?"  
  
  
--------------  
  
IN C4  
  
  
"What's going on, onna?" Vegeta demanded to be answered. "What's going on with my sister and why is she glowing purple?"  
  
  
Bulma looked at Serena and everyone watched as silver hair turned lavender. A strange feeling ebbed from the silent girl on the medical bed.  
  
  
Ami walked forward, mini-computer in hand. "It is Sailor Saturn. She is still inside Serena and she seems to have absorbed her powers again. For what purpose, I have no clue, but it won't harm her."  
  
  
"It feels like Death just entered the room." Bulma quietly remarked.  
  
  
"To be Sailor Saturn is to be Death itself. That is her calling."  
  
  
Goku grabbed Serena's hand for his own reassurance. 'What are you doing in there, Serena?'  
  
--------------  
  
BACK IN SERENA'S DREAM  
  
  
  
Serena could suddenly move and walked forward to Darien. She stood in front of him and stretched out her hand. Darien closed his eyes, waiting for contact. He opened them again a few seconds later and saw Serena's hand outstretched.  
  
  
"Well?"  
  
  
"Well what?" was his reply.  
  
  
"Are you coming or not?" Her eyes were twinkling at him and he could find no speck of anger anywhere in their depths.  
  
  
"Coming where?"  
  
  
"And I thought you were the almighty college student." Her sarcasm made things a bit more relaxed. They almost forgot where they were.   
  
  
Almost.  
  
  
"Where are we going and are we going to leave Mina here by herself?"  
  
  
"Darien," Serena started. "This place doesn't really exist. It only exists in your mind and I think the only reason I can see it is because we're linked somewhat."  
  
  
"What do you mean this is all in my mind? I can see us all here. You…me…Mina…"  
  
  
"Darien, close your eyes." Serena was amazed when he did as she asked. "What do you see?"  
  
  
Darien paused and looked at his surroundings. "I see you still standing in front of me, but your wings are white again and your eyes are blue and hair, silver."  
  
  
"Good," she encouraged. "Now take my hand and open your mind to mine." Darien tried, relying on their link to lead him to her. She told him to open his eyes and the first thing he saw almost made him cry. There was Mina standing before him in a beautiful orange and white sun-dress in perfect health.  
  
  
"Darien! You did it! You've come to me! Thank you so much Serena!" Mina ran to Darien and threw her arms around him. Darien was confused by what Mina said, but pushed it aside to finally hold his love in his arms.  
  
  
Mina pushed away from him to look at him one last time.   
  
  
Darien saw the sadness as well as happiness in her eyes. He could always read her eyes. "What's the matter, love?" His hand made its way to her cheek and brushed it with his fingers.  
  
  
"Its time for you to go."  
  
  
"But I just got here," he chuckled until he realized he was the only one.  
  
  
"No, silly. Serena's come to set you free."  
  
  
"What do you mean, set me free? I am free. I left that prison and I'm here now."  
  
  
"No, Darien," Serena cut in. "That was the prison of your mind, a mere illusion. I have to bring you back to the real world with me. I can't keep you in here any longer."  
  
  
"And leave Mina?" That's when he saw the outers standing behind Mina. "What are you guys doing here?"  
  
  
"How do you think we got out of Sarenia's castle? Serena saved us all by absorbing us, I guess you could say. Lita and Ami are already left Serena's body and we're waiting our turns." Amara smiled at Serena and thanked her with her eyes.  
  
  
Mina turned to her love. "Darien, just go please. It's not that I don't love you and that I don't want to be with you but Serena can't keep us all in here longer than necessary. She's been healing you while you slept or were trapped in your mind as she said. You have to go back because she's not healed all the way either. You and Hotaru are going to take most of her energy because you're the stronger ones. Please go and we'll be together my love. Besides," she smiled, "what's a few more months? We'll be together again before you know it."  
  
  
She jumped up and kissed him thoroughly before pushing him towards Serena. "Go, or else I'll never speak to you again."   
  
  
At that, Darien smirked. "Yeah right."  
  
  
Mina smiled at how he knew him so well. "Fine, the I won't kiss you again and as the Goddess of Love, that's a promise."  
  
  
Darien sulked and walked towards Serena and her outstretched hand. He took it in his, feeling her love for him and smiled at her. Looking back at Mina one last time, he whispered, "I love you."  
  
  
Mina smiled back. "I know. You have no choice." She flashed her "V" for Victory sign and stepped back with the outers.   
  
  
"I'll see you guys later," Serena said and closed her eyes.  
  
  
Darien's eyes were already closed. He could feel Serena's power flowing through her to him just from holding her hand. He could feel himself growing heavier as the seconds crawled by. A familiar feeling of pain hit him lightly and then heavier soon after it started. He could feel something warm dripping down his abdomen and onto his legs. Darien knew that he was bleeding again.  
  
  
END DREAM  
  
--------------  
  
  
The purple glow faded away to a blue one and then silver and the boys moved their hands forward. The men knew they had questions for her when she woke up but followed their sons' examples. The boys had somewhat mastered transferring their energy to her and it neatly flowed in two beams.   
  
  
The blue light seemed to leak from her body onto the empty bed beside her and took on the form of a person. It stretched across the length of the mattress and everyone could tell that it wasn't a female. Goku knew that Serena's life depended on their help so he kept himself focused.  
  
  
Instead of moving to the newcomer like they normally did, they stayed with Serena.   
  
  
"What about him?" Vegeta growled. He knew that this was Serena's best friend from his past memories.  
  
  
"We can't do anything for him."   
  
  
"He is Serena's."   
  
  
Goku didn't like the sound of that but didn't show it. His jealousy made him pump more energy into her, sending him down a level to SS2 sooner than Vegeta.   
  
  
As the shady figure became more complete he noticed that Serena's hand was away from her side. This newcomer was holding her hand! If he hadn't been exerting all his energy to her, he would have broken the other man's arm. The man looked about 6' 3" (his height) and had short black hair and a fairly muscled body. Nothing compared to his own so he wasn't worried about that, but it was the fact that he was holding hands with *his* mate that set him off.  
  
  
The boys were now at SS1 and their fathers at SS2. They stopped feeding her life energy, which confused the older men but again they followed their sons' leads.  
  
  
"What's going on? Why did you stop?" Goku asked impatiently.  
  
  
"We can't help her anymore. Giving her more would end up reversing what we've been doing."  
  
  
Vegeta looked at the couple on the bed and saw them holding hands. He smirked again and folded his arms across his chest. "Looks like that guy caught your mate, Kakkarot."   
  
  
"Shut up, Vegeta." Goku reached across to detach them but Goten stopped him.  
  
  
"Don't dad. She has to heal him."  
  
  
"I'll do what I want."  
  
  
He went to grab Serena's hand to separate it from the other man's, but was thrown across the room by a strong force. The others looked on and saw a silver and golden glow coming from the couple. In flames it danced around them and no one dared to go near them. Goku made his way back to the table a little dazed and decided he didn't want to end up back on the floor so he stood with the rest of the watchers and witnessed Serena's healing powers again.  
  
  
The blood that was dripping onto the bed slowly disappeared into nothing and the wounds on Darien's chest and abdomen closed up and healed perfectly. The wounds that Serena was healing now was in no way close to the damage he had sustained from the battle in the mountain. It took most of her energy in the first week of her healing him to bring him back to life. He had died in Sarenia's castle of stone, which had triggered Saturn's appearance in Serena.  
  
  
Somehow, Serena seemed to know when it was enough because the silver glow died down and faded away. Their hands were still clasped together, even in sleep, but no one did anything to change it. Darien was glowing gold and some of it was transferring to Serena through their linked hands.  
  
  
"What's going on now, onna?" Vegeta might not regularly act like it but he was very protective of his family, including his sister.  
  
  
Ami answered while typing away. "Darien also has healing properties and I think he's trying to heal her in return, or at least give her strength enough to recover faster. He knows that he can't do much in his current condition, but he loves her very much. They've been best friends since before I can remember.  
  
  
Goku was leaning against a wall, watching from a distance. He knew that if he got any closer he would try to "send him to the other dimension," as Vegeta so frequently put it.  
  
  
Not being able to stand there and watch the woman he loved holding hands with another man, he walked out of the room. Just as he reached the door, he turned around.  
  
  
"Vegeta. Let's spar." 


	28. Where am I?

Okay, I'm so very sorry about not updating for a VERY long time. I've been having issues lately but we're not here to read about those. I have one tiny request. Please imagine in your mind that Trunks and Goten are 8 years old. I've refrained from asking this before because I thought I could get away with it, but I can't.   
  
I hereby declare that Goten and Trunks will be 8 years old from this point forward. My will be done.  
  
Echo.  
  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
LAST TIME  
  
  
The blood that was dripping onto the bed slowly disappeared into nothing and the wounds on Darien's chest and abdomen closed up and healed perfectly. The wounds that Serena was healing now was in no way close to the damage he had sustained from the battle in the mountain. It took most of her energy in the first week of her healing him to bring him back to life. He had died in Sarenia's castle of stone, which had triggered Saturn's appearance in Serena.  
  
  
Somehow, Serena seemed to know when it was enough because the silver glow died down and faded away. Their hands were still clasped together, even in sleep, but no one did anything to change it. Darien was glowing gold and some of it was transferring to Serena through their linked hands.  
  
  
"What's going on now, onna?" Vegeta might not regularly act like it but he was very protective of his family, including his sister.  
  
  
Ami answered while typing away. "Darien also has healing properties and I think he's trying to heal her in return, or at least give her strength enough to recover faster. He knows that he can't do much in his current condition, but he loves her very much. They've been best friends since before I can remember.  
  
  
Goku was leaning against a wall, watching from a distance. He knew that if he got any closer he would try to "send him to the other dimension," as Vegeta so frequently put it.  
  
  
Not being able to stand there and watch the woman he loved holding hands with another man, he walked out of the room. Just as he reached the door, he turned around.  
  
  
"Vegeta. Let's spar."  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
CHAPTER 28: WHERE AM I?  
  
  
  
It had been five excruciating hours but Goku and Vegeta were still going head to head. Each bore bruises upon cuts and burns, which covered their tired bodies. Vegeta knew that he used sparring as a way to vent when things made him mad but this was ridiculous.   
  
  
"Kakkarot, this is pointless. Just look at yourself. You're pathetic!"  
  
  
By now Goku's temper and frustration had died down enough to the point where he could carry on a conversation.  
  
  
"I know." He dropped his levels back to normal just before Vegeta's fist made contact with his head. Vegeta's hand made contact with his opponent's jaw sending him crashing through the trees that served as a barrier to their battlefield.  
  
  
"Stupid idiot."   
  
  
Vegeta soared above the forest to find where the end of the path Goku's body just made. He found it and swooped down to find Goku. He saw him lying unconscious trapped under the trunk of a monstrous fir tree. The prince lifted the tree and pushed it aside to pull out his friend.   
  
  
--------------  
  
  
One Mercurian, one Jovian and one Terran sat at the dinner table discussing their plans.   
  
  
"How long is she usually out for?" Lita pushed her dinner around with her fork.  
  
  
"She is usually sleeps for three or four days at the most. I'm not sure about this one though. From the way things look, she might be out for quite a while. Maybe even a week."  
  
  
"You say that as if it's normal."  
  
  
Bulma chuckled and Lita cracked her knuckles. "Don't worry, she'll be perfectly fine. This actually happens all the time. The boys watch their tenshi constantly. She's the best thing that's happened to this family in my opinion."  
  
  
"Tenshi?"  
  
  
Bulma ordered desserts from Sam and unraveled the story of how Serena had been named Tenshi by Goten and the other little adventures that had happened during her stay.  
  
  
"That is so sweet! I can't believe our little Serena! So, do you think her and Goku are gonna hook up?"  
  
  
Bulma laughed again. "Yes I do. In fact, they'll probably get together a week after Serena wakes up. I'd bet money on it."  
  
  
"You would huh? Why's that?" Lita had a glint of mischief in her eye when she heard the word "bet".  
  
  
"Just from watching the two together. In fact, I'm rather surprised that they haven't bonded yet. Those two have been wanting to for quite some time now but Serena's been so weak and you have to be incredibly healthy to survive a ritual like that."  
  
  
Just as Ami was going to ask about the Saiyan mating rituals, Vegeta stormed through the door carrying something large on his shoulder. It was Goku.  
  
  
"Hi Vegeta. How did it go?"  
  
  
Vegeta merely grunted in response as he made his way to C4.  
  
  
"Wait! Don't take him there. Serena and Darien are still in there and I doubt he would want to wake up and see them together. Ugh! Stupid Saiyan Hormones!"   
  
  
Her mate smirked. "You know you love Saiyan Hormones. In fact, last night I clearly remember you thanking the gods for them." Bulma by now was used to Vegeta's scandalous teasing, but the other two women were burning with embarrassment.   
  
  
"Why yes I did, didn't I?" Bulma laughed at the red-faced girls and got a smile from her husband. A purr came from the strong Saiyan as he turned to the living room to deposit Goku on the couch.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
IN ANOTHER DIMENSION  
  
  
  
Queen Serenity smiled when she saw that Prince Darien had come back safely. She was sitting with the other gods and goddesses who lived above earth. They could discuss nothing except for the battle that would come as soon as everyone was restored.  
  
  
"Serenity, Cronus would like to have a word with you." The winged messenger led the way to Cronus' temple where he was playing a game with his wife.  
  
  
"You called, Cronus?" The king of the gods lifted his head.   
  
  
"Yes, daughter. Come, there are things I need to tell you." Serenity always felt small when she was near Cronus because she was in reality very petite. He was the most powerful man in the existence of men and yet was one of the most gentle as well. She would say that he was about four times the size of her, if not more. "My dear child. A threat is nearing earth. It is not a strong threat and Serena will be able to over come it. Her fighters will not be able to aid her, she must do it alone and use the powers within her. You must not do anything to interfere, is that understood?"  
  
  
"Yes my Lord." Serenity's face fell. She thought her daughter would be safe while she healed and brought everyone back. Now all she was worried about was telling her daughter the news.  
  
  
--------------  
  
  
It had been a week and a half and Goku didn't know what to do with himself. His future mate lay on a bed and was holding hands with the person whose name she had screamed out in her nightmares. The thing that frustrated him the most was the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. Ami and the boys had insisted that they needed to stay connected or they wouldn't live.  
  
  
Bulma had inserted auto-feeders into their stomachs the way she had done to Arem when she first came. Arem had been taking care of the boys and teaching the ways of ancient medicine. Bulma didn't know what else to do with them. If they weren't with her or by Serena's side, they were bouncing off the walls.   
  
  
'At least they're doing something constructive,' she thought to herself. Arem could stay outside for long periods of time now and so she did. The boys began training her as soon as her strength had returned for which she was most thankful. From the sidelines, Bulma could see how Arem was growing in confidence in herself and when she was around other people. She was no longer afraid of Vegeta or Goku, which was an enormous step for a woman who was beat mercilessly by men almost all of her life. Arem was part of the family.  
  
  
The "Medicine Makers" as Bulma called them had begun building a green house for Arem's medicinal plants. Security for the building was strong because of the plants that were in there. To start off, the greenhouse was underground. Most of them had come from other planets in corners that the sun didn't reach. One could call them shade plants. Lita had soon joined the little group of three with her love for Mother Nature.   
  
  
Special lights and casings were built so the plants could live in something similar to their old habitat. Slowly with Ami's help, they started to adapt the plants to earth's atmosphere so they could make use of them on their planet.  
  
  
Bulma and Ami were in the lab. Ami was helping her new genius friend with the project that her and Serena started a while ago. "So what exactly does this machine do?"  
  
  
Bulma went into detail about the surprise she and her sister-in-law had in store for Vegeta. "And I can't wait to try it out! Serena is so smart. She came up with the idea and somehow found the plans for it. I have no idea how or where she found them either."  
  
  
A mechanical voice came over the speakerphone. "Miss Bulma, one of the patients has awoken. Would you like me to set a ki barrier around him?"  
  
  
"No thank you, Sam. That will not be necessary. Connect me to C4 please. Don't let anyone in or out until I get there."  
  
  
"As you wish, ma'am."  
  
  
Beeps were heard. "Connection complete."  
  
  
"Hello? Darien? Are you awake?"  
  
  
Darien looked around for the voice but didn't see anyone. It came again and he trailed the sound to the speaker in the ceiling.   
  
  
"Darien? Are you alright in there?"  
  
  
"Who are you? What have you done?"  
  
  
  
"My name is Bulma Briefs." Bulma walked to the door of the lab and hung her lab coat on the pegs in the wall. Ami was trailing behind her. "I'm a friend of Serena's. Is she awake yet?"  
  
  
Darien looked over at his sleeping friend. He had just woken in a strange room with a strange woman talking to him over a PA system. 'Can I trust her?'   
  
  
"Why hasn't he answered yet?" Bulma looked at Ami.  
  
  
"Darien? It's me, Ami. How are you feeling?"  
  
  
"Ami? Where are you?"  
  
  
"Don't worry. We'll be there in just a second. Just sit down and whatever you do, don't touch anything."  
  
  
"Alright."  
  
  
A minute later the whizzing of metal doors were heard as two women entered the medical room. "Darien? Where are you?"  
  
  
"Right here."  
  
  
Ami found him sitting on his bed still holding Serena's hand and transferring energy to her. "Is she still low on energy?"  
  
  
"Not really. I guess its just habit. I thought if I held on long enough that she would wake up."  
  
  
Bulma spoke up keeping Goku in mind. "It won't help her. I've been here to help the others out and after one of you appears, she stays out for a while. I think she says she talks to her mother each time. You can let go. You must be hungry. How about we get something to eat?"  
  
  
A protective look entered the strange man's eyes. "Who are you?"  
  
  
Bulma laughed lightly. "Sorry. My name is Bulma. I'm the owner of this house and Serena has been living here for the last year or so. Don't worry. She's perfectly safe here. She has four very strong bodyguards that protect her day and night. If it makes you feel better, I can call some in." She eyed the new comer. He might have problems with Goku while Serena was asleep so someone would have to inform him of the situation at hand. She looked over at Ami and saw that she was thinking the same thing.  
  
  
"Come Darien. Let's go get lunch and I'll call in Trunks and Goten. They'll watch her for you. We have a lot to talk about."  
  
  
Darien watched the purple-haired lady suspiciously. "Boys! Come in here and watch Serena please. We're going to get lunch really quick."  
  
  
"Alright! Coming mom/Bulma."  
  
  
"They sounded like little boys!"  
  
  
"Well, they might look young, but don't let their age or size fool you. They're among the six strongest fighters on this planet."  
  
  
The doors slid open again to reveal two small boys with enormous muscles for people their size.  
  
  
"Who's that?" asked the boy with black spiky hair when he entered.  
  
  
"It's Aunt Serena's friend, Darien. He was the one that your dad got all upset about."  
  
  
"Oh, that's right." Darien decided that he would ask about that later. He separated his hand from Serena's, immediately feeling the loss of warmth and security. He got up and left with Ami and Bulma.  
  
  
"Don't worry, they'll be safe." Bulma walked into the kitchen with the two following behind her. "It's you I'm worried about." 


	29. Time to wake up!

Hi everyone! I apologize for taking so long with this chapter. I'm such a slacker. well, it's a little over 4,000 words so I hope this will satisfy you until next time.   
  
Ciao,  
  
Echo  
--------------  
LAST TIME  
Darien watched the purple-haired lady suspiciously. "Boys! Come in here and watch Serena please. We're going to get lunch really quick."  
"Alright! Coming mom/Bulma."  
"They sounded like little boys!"  
"Well, they might look young, but don't let their age or size fool you. They're among the six strongest fighters on this planet."  
The doors slid open again to reveal two small boys with enormous muscles for people their size.  
"Who's that?" asked the boy with black spiky hair when he entered.  
"It's Aunt Serena's friend, Darien. He was the one that your dad got all upset about."  
"Oh, that's right." Darien decided that he would ask about that later. He separated his hand from Serena's, immediately feeling the loss of warmth and security. He got up and left with Ami and Bulma.  
"Don't worry, they'll be safe." Bulma walked into the kitchen with the two following behind her. "It's you I'm worried about."  
--------------  
CHAPTER 29  
"Hello Serena, it's been quite sometime since I've seen you last."  
"Hi mother!" Serena ran to her look-alikes arms and squeezed. "So what news do you have this time?" Worry flashed in the queen's eyes, worry that did not go unnoticed by her daughter. "What is it? Why are you worried."  
"Come, let's sit down." Queen Serenity conjured up two chairs of white and they both sat down. She took her daughter's small hands in her own and rubbed them with her fingers. "What I have to tell you comes from the mouth of Cronus himself." Serena listened quietly. "He has just told me that an enemy will reach earth and come for you."  
"Okay."  
"Now there's no need to...okay?" That was the last reaction she expected to see come from her daughter.  
"What do I have to do?" Serena figured that she might as well be brave. After all, she had her brother and her lover there to help her, along with her other friends.  
"I am not sure. All that Cronus said was that you will have to fight this evil by yourself, with no aid from others." She waited patiently for her daughter to process the information.  
"Wait, did you just say by myself?"  
The white queen nodded her head. "Don't worry, Serena. Cronus has assured me that you will be victor of this fight. It's just a warm up of things to come. He says its part of your training."  
"Oh. Alright." Serena sighed to herself as she accepted her fate once more.  
"Daughter, you make me so proud. The gods speak so highly of you. They predict you will shine as great as Selene did, if not more." She hugged her daughter and pulled away to look at her. "It is time for you to wake, love. There are some very anxious people waiting to see you." Serenity disappeared from Serena's mind and she slowly woke to the now all-too-familiar C4.   
--------------  
IN THE KITCHEN  
"So who's this guy that I should be keeping an eye out for?" Darien bit into his sandwich, waiting for a response.  
"His name is Goku. The little boy with the black hair was his youngest son. You see...how do I put this? Alright, we're going to have to start at the beginning. Have you ever heard of Saiyans?"  
AN HOUR LATER  
"...and that's the shortened version of our life. Do you have any questions?" Bulma looked over the tall, handsome man that had just been "reborn" as they referred to it.  
  
"Can you tell me where the nearest hotel is?"  
"Oh, dear boy." Bulma laughed at him. "Come, I'll show you to your room." Bulma and her caravan walked up the stairs and down the hall to the guest rooms, where Lita and Ami were staying. Opening a large door, she stepped inside and waved for everyone to follow. Everyone except Bulma was shocked at the design of the room.   
"This is amazing!" Ami commented. The room was decorated in dark blues and greens, the colors of earth of which he was prince of.  
"How did you..."  
Bulma efficiently cut him off. "Serena had designed seven rooms before you all came, as if she knew you all were coming back."  
"Only seven? There are 8 of us all-together."   
"That's right." Ami added.  
Lita smirked. "I think that girl's hiding something from us." She looked at Ami and both girls looked at Darien with large smiles.  
"Why are you smiling like that?" He nervously took a step backwards.  
"No reason." Lita started giggling. She turned around and headed back downstairs. "I have some gardening to do. Arem and I are going to experiment today!" Ami shivered at the sight of Lita's smile.  
"Have fun, Lita." Bulma waved and turned her attention back to her new guest. "All you really need to know is Sam."  
"Who's Sam."  
It was Bulma's turn to smile. "Only the most perfect man ever created. Sam..."  
A mechanical voice entered the room. "Yes your highness?"  
Darien's eyebrow rose. "Your highness?"  
Ami decided that she would take her turn talking. "Yes. You see, Bulma is married to Serena's brother, who is the last Prince of the Saiyans, well...they have a son, but the last remaining prince from Vegeta-sei itself."  
"Okay." Looking around again at where he was going to be living, he was shocked. "Serena really did a great job with my room."  
"She did. If you ever need anything, just ask Sam. Even if it's to find out how to get out of this house or anywhere, just ask Sam."  
"Okay thanks. Why do you say that he or it is the most perfect man ever created?"  
"That's simple. I created him."  
"Oh."  
Bulma led them back downstairs so she could give Darien a tour of the grounds. Instead of going straight for the front door, they made a detour.   
"We're going to check on Serena and the boys before we head out." When they neared the wing of C4, Darien stopped suddenly.  
"What's the matter?"  
"Can you feel that?" He looked at both women to see if they could feel the immense power source nearby.  
"No, but hold on." Bulma closed her eyes and scanned the house for whatever it was that Darien was sensing. Pinpointing the energy to C4, she found out who it was. "Don't worry, it's just my son and Goten."  
"How can you be sure?" Darien's body was tensing with worry. It wasn't possible for two boys to be that strong was it? "Yes I'm sure. I learned how to read ki signatures and you should too. It might just save you a lot of unwanted confrontation in the future. We'll have one of the boys teach you. They seemed to have taught Serena rather well." Bulma looked at the young man before her, late 20's perhaps, and saw that he was still apprehensive. "Watch this. Sam..." Sam's voice came over the intercom.   
"How may I help you, your highness?"  
"Sam, can you list off the people that are in the house right now please?"  
"Six people detected. Prince Trunks, the Prince's bodyguard-Goten, Princess Serena, who are all in C4. Queen Bulma, Princess Ami of Mercury and Darien, who I need more information about."  
"Thank you, Sam. That's all." When the small group got to C4, they saw the reason Darien could feel the boys' ki. They were powered up and holding on to the body lying on the table.  
"What are they doing to her?" Darien rushed to the bed as well to try to pull the boys away from her. He latched on to one of them, he knew that much. With them in their Super Saiyan forms, he didn't know which was which. He pulled with all his might, but he was still a little weak from the energy he had already spent on Serena.  
"Let her go!" He tried harder and harder but still the boy wouldn't budge.   
"Darien! Let them go!"  
After a few more tugs, he let go and stepped back a little. Bulma looked on curiously as he reached to his side, looking like he was reaching for something. Ami was watching as well but didn't catch on quick enough to realize what he was doing.   
"Darien! No!"  
In a split second, something was buzzing through the air, heading towards the boys. Faster than anyone in that room could see, two hands popped up in the air in front of their chests. Both women were anxious to see what it was they had caught.  
Two steel-tipped roses were being held by Trunks and Goten while their other hands remained on Serena's body. Darien aka Tuxedo Mask was in utter shock when he realized that the boys weren't holding their wounds but were instead holding his weapons.  
The boys slowly lifted their heads to look at Darien. Trunks lifted the flower he held to his nose and sniffed it, as if to mock the man who threw it.  
"Tenshi will love it. She says thank you." His slow and soft voice made the dark-haired man shudder at the thought of what they could possible do to him. He watched as Goten and Trunks laid the flowers on Serena's abdomen. Goten was the next to speak, but it was too soft for anyone to hear.  
"What did you say?" Darien didn't know what to think or how to think for that matter.  
"I said, luce di paralisi"  
"What does that mean?" Darien's brow furrowed.  
"It means catch." Goten tossed a little glowing orb, which Darien caught all to easily. "It's a present from Tenshi."  
He watched carefully as the ball dissolved into his hand. The light began to travel up his arm and he watched curiously with his limbs tingling. In a few seconds, Darien was fully paralyzed.  
Goten lifted his eyes to Bulma's. "Tenshi is about to wake up now. She needs the IV's. She's very hungry and very tired."  
"Got it."  
Darien could do nothing but stand and watch what was going on in the room around him. He couldn't move or talk, which in Goten's opinion he had been doing too much of. He was a stranger. He didn't know how things worked around Capsule Corp.  
"What are we going to do with him?" Ami couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her friend. After all, he was only trying to protect her.  
"Just leave him there I suppose." Bulma's hand went to her chin. "Actually, I think we better move him. Goku knows that Serena's waking up and I don't think he'd like to see Darien standing so close. Maybe we should move him to the other side of the room."  
"That's a good plan. I'll take care of it." Ami pushed her long blue braid behind her and held her hand over the floor in front of Darien. As she moved her hand, a path of ice was constructed, leading to the other end of the room. She walked behind the stiff man and pushed him across the ice. The slippery surface had no effect on her the way it did Darien. She was lucky for that. As she walked over it, it melted and left no sign of its presence behind. Bulma was amazed once again at the powers of her little genius friend.  
Just as Ami made it to the other side of the bed and room, the door coolly slid open, revealing two large males, one slightly smaller than the other. Slightly.  
Darien watched as they neared the bed where Serena lay. Jealousy coursed through him as he thought of how all these males were able to touch her and smell her, yet he, her best friend all her life had been paralyzed and had to watch from the side.  
"Who's that?" A strong feeling to protect washed over the man with spiky black hair as he sized up the smaller man standing by the other medical beds.  
"He's mine and Serena's friend. Who are you?" To say Ami was strongly attracted to this man was a great understatement. She couldn't even fathom how it was possible. She had never seen him before but he was radiating something that she couldn't fight.   
And that body.  
Yeah, he was radiating muscle.   
Ami's mind quickly took off and thought about how she would like to freeze him and then slowly thaw him.  
All of him.  
With her mouth.  
Her face turned a bright pink. How embarrassing! She had never met this man before and here she was thinking of...  
Her face turned a deep shade of red. She mentally sent a cool mist through her body to cool her down and luckily for her it had worked. Onyx eyes had made contact with hers and suddenly the cool mist turned into a humid fog. The man could smell her scent changing along with the color of her face. Ami's body heat was quickly rising and he could feel it. Every. Single. Degree.  
He licked his lips as he neared the woman in blue. With fire burning in his eyes and his body, he answered very smoothly, purring like a panther.  
"My name is Gohan. I live here. May I have the pleasure of knowing your name?"  
Ami's breathing grew faster with each breath. Her heart was beating erratically, something else she was not used to. This wasn't normal!  
He wasn't normal.  
But then neither was she.  
Her mind scanned the alphabet, looking for familiar letters. 1, 13, 8. 'Match the numbers with their corresponding letters. 1=A, 13=M...What's the last one!?"  
"Ami."  
"I'm sorry?"  
"My name is Ami."  
--------------  
  
Mirai stood by his mother after greeting her with a kiss on her cheek. Bulma watched with interest as Ami and Gohan had their first little spat. 'It looks like Ami has found someone. They look so cute together.'  
The lavender-haired man saw the look in his mother's eye but decided to say nothing about it.  
"When did you get back?"  
"We got back just a few minutes ago. I asked Sam where you guys were and he said you were having a party in here, so we came. We were just kind of disappointed that you didn't invite us." Bulma saw the smirk that her son had inherited from his father, making her smile.  
"Well, I'm glad you guys came back to me safe and sound. I was getting worried about you." Bulma watched the two scenes before her. The younger version of her son and his friend at the table with Serena and the older Trunks and Gohan here with her too. Tears came to her eyes. While she watched Gohan talking to Ami, she noticed something different about him. Quickly, her eyes moved to her son and looked him up and down. "How long have you guys been gone?"  
Trunks shifted meaning that it had been a long time. "Well, when we first started the rebuilding, time seemed to go really slow. After the first few years, we stopped counting. It wasn't until we got back in the time machine that we knew what the date was. It's nearly the third mark in my time. Most of the major cities have been rebuilt and we've found some survivors. Thanks to Serena and Lita, we have green again, food to eat, water to drink...we're living."  
"I'm so proud of you guys! I can't wait to see what you've done with the place!" She squeezed her son's hand and asked him the question he hadn't answered. "How long have you been gone?"  
"11 years."  
Bulma couldn't have guessed that long. Her son was already 29! He and Gohan were *almost* as old as she was. "You're telling me that you've been gone for 11 years?"  
"Yes."  
Bulma didn't say anything. Mirai expected her to start crying or something and going off about how they should have come home sooner but the only reaction he saw on her face was a smile.  
"Mom, are you alright? Do you need to sit down or something?"  
Bulma's thoughts disappeared. "Huh? Oh, no. Everything's just perfect."  
--------------  
Vegeta was training in the gravity room when Bulma found him 20 minutes later. She left the hospital wing when the boys told her she would be out for just another hour. She decided that she would take her husband some lunch while during the wait.   
Bulma walked to the gravity machine. She loved the little things that her and her sister-in-law added to it, making it so she could control the things it did as well. After knocking on the door, Bulma shifted the large tray of food on her hip to a more comfortable position.  
The door slid open, startling her. She was greeted by a very large, very sweaty...very sexy Vegeta. He was panting heavily from the workout he had just undergone. Vegeta never really liked the restriction that clothes brought so he was wearing only his black spandex shorts. Bulma noticed that too.  
Her breath quickened as pictures swam through her head. He was staring at her, straight into her and she felt it. She always felt everything when he was around. He made sure of it.  
Bulma tried her best to form words. "Lunch."  
Well, at least she got one.  
"I can see that onna." In one swoop, the tray landed on the floor and Bulma was in Vegeta's arms being pressed up against his hard body. "But I'm not hungry for food."  
She felt heat rise in her cheeks at his statement. Bulma knew what was coming and was very willing until something killed whatever heated thoughts were in her head.   
"You stink! Don't you even think about touching me until you're clean!"   
Vegeta growled and pulled his mate closer and tighter. His caught her lips and for a moment she couldn't remember why she didn't want him to touch her. It wasn't until they let up for air that she smelled him again.  
"I said don't touch me! I hate it when I get YOUR sweat all over MY body."  
"Onna, you were sweating all over me last night and you didn't hear me whining about it!"  
He had her there. It was a hot night last night.   
"But it wasn't because you were working out...well, we both were, but...what am I talking about! You're not eating *eating* anything until you clean up. I can't believe you got me dirty too! Serena's waking up in an hour and..."  
"Well, we better get going then. I'm hungry and I only have an hour to eat!" Without letting her go, he teleported to their bedroom.   
"You can teleport? I didn't know you knew how!"  
"I just remembered. It was one of the gifts my stepmother gave me."  
"Serena's mom?"  
"Yeah. Enough talking. It's time to get you clean cause you're all sweaty." Vegeta smirked making whatever smart comment Bulma had totally disappeared as they stepped into the shower.   
--------------  
45 minutes later...  
Bulma emerged into the hospital wing where the boys still were. When she had inquired about Mirai and Gohan's whereabouts, the boys just shrugged their shoulders. She noted that Darien was still frozen and standing off to the side. Feeling sorry for him, she walked over and started talking.   
"You do understand why we had to do this to you right?"  
His eyes hardened and she could see it. She had seen it enough times from other people.  
"If you promise you won't try to hurt anyone else, I can have the boys take you out. If not, you get to stay there until Serena decides what she wants done with you." Bulma watched carefully for signs of him letting up. Slowly but surely, his eyes softened, telling her he was ready.  
"All right boys, let him out."  
Trunks was smiling. "We can't mom. That ball is supposed to hold until Aunt Serena tells us to let him go."  
"Are you sure about that?"  
Goten nodded his head. "She said she didn't want any problems when dad comes. Darien, she says she's sorry and that my dad gets really jealous of other guys around her. She's doing it for your own safety." The little boy went silent for a few seconds. "She says you can talk though, here." Goten shot a white beam directly at Darien's mouth. He closed his eyes, waiting for the pain but none came.   
"Huh?"  
"There, all better now. Just make sure you don't say anything mean when Goku comes." Bulma patted his cheeks before making her way back to Serena. She checked the stats on the computer screen and saw that everything was fine.  
"Alright dear, its time to wake up. You've been asleep for a long time." The rhythmic beeping sped up as Serena's heart rate did. Darien could feel a powerful force coming towards the building.  
"What is that?"  
"That's a heart monitor. The beeping is speeding up, meaning she's getting excited."  
"No, I know what that is. What's that power?"  
Serena screamed from her position on the table. "GOOOKKKUUUUU!"  
A man suddenly appeared out of nowhere and walked next to the woman on the bed. He was wearing a midnight blue gi with white symbols on the chest and back. Black, untamed hair reminded Darien of the little boy by Serena's head. The lights flickered for a bit until he reached for Serena's hand.  
"I'm here. Wake up, Tenshi."   
Serena felt a warm wave of baritone wash over her. She knew he had come. Now was the hard part...opening her eyes.  
A little voice sent out a command. "Sam, dim the lights in here."  
The computer obeyed Trunks and the room grew darker. A white light could clearly be seen in the darkness of the room and seemed to grow brighter. Silver hair began to wave around in the streams of energy that surrounded the couple.  
"Wake up my little one. You've been asleep without me for far too long." Goku lifted her body off the table after Bulma quickly removed the tubes and other things that were attached to her. He kissed her forehead and pulled her body closer. Trunks and Goten stood off to the side as they watched Goku try to wake Serena.  
Darien could feel as well as see the power snapping off of his body in thick, dark red waves. He decided that he should do exactly as Bulma instructed. He kept silent.  
Goku looked down at the sleeping angel in his arms. He had missed her touch, her smile, the way she curled into him when they slept. He was right. She had been sleeping without him for far too long. He whispered something into her ear before placing his lips on hers. At first there was no response, but slowly, he felt her move in his arms, responding to his kiss.   
'Mmm,' Serena thought. 'What a nice dream.'  
"I'm hurt. I would have thought I was better than some fantasy."  
Serena giggled. "You're too cute."  
"And I'm all yours."  
She opened her stunning blue eyes and Goku was paralyzed by their beauty. Small tints of silver flashed at him when she laughed, bringing to his face a smile of his own.   
"Hi."  
"Hi." Goku's husky voice sent shivers up her spine. "I missed you."  
Serena placed her hand on his cheek. "I know and I'm sorry."  
He kissed the inside of her wrist and a trail along her arm up to her neck. "Hey, that tickles!" She made her wings appear and wrap around her so he couldn't see her.   
"Hey, that's not fair."  
She jumped out of his arms and landed on the table next to the boys. One of them pulled at her shirt.  
"Tenshi, someone's standing over there waiting for you."  
She turned to see who it was Goten was talking about.  
"Darien!" 


	30. Let the Bondage begin!

- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
LAST TIME  
  
Goku looked down at the sleeping angel in his arms. He had missed her touch, her smile, the way she curled into him when they slept. He was right. She had been sleeping without him for far too long. He whispered something into her ear before placing his lips on hers. At first there was no response, but slowly, he felt her move in his arms, responding to his kiss.  
  
'Mmm,' Serena thought. 'What a nice dream.'  
  
"I'm hurt. I would have thought I was better than some fantasy."  
  
Serena giggled. "You're too cute."  
  
"And I'm all yours."  
  
She opened her stunning blue eyes and Goku was paralyzed by their beauty. Small tints of silver flashed at him when she laughed, bringing to his face a smile of his own.  
  
"Hi."  
  
"Hi." Goku's husky voice sent shivers up her spine. "I missed you."  
  
Serena placed her hand on his cheek. "I know and I'm sorry."  
  
He kissed the inside of her wrist and a trail along her arm up to her neck. "Hey, that tickles!" She made her wings appear and wrap around her so he couldn't see her.  
  
"That's not fair."  
  
She jumped out of his arms and landed on the table next to the boys. One of them pulled at her shirt.  
  
"Tenshi, someone's standing over there waiting for you."  
  
She turned to see who it was Goten was talking about.  
  
"Darien!"  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
CHAPTER 30  
  
Serena walked over to her friend and found he wasn't moving. She turned to the boys. Goten told her that he paralyzed Darien for his own safety.  
  
"Oh, that's right!" She stretched her arm forward and touched his shoulder, bringing him out of his frozen state. "Darien, I'm so happy that you're here!" She proceeded to squeeze her best friend to death.  
  
Darien patted her back. "Cant...breathe..."  
  
"Oh!" She loosened up but didn't let go. She was too happy to let go. Her best friend had come back into her life and she couldn't wait to show him around. Serena totally forgot about her surroundings until Bulma sneezed, reminding her that there were other people in the room. She could feel a certain pair of eyes burning into her back but she chose to ignore it. "Come on! I have tons of people to introduce you to!"  
  
She was bouncing up and down, something that no on in the room besides her senshi had seen her do. They all looked at her strangely. Serena felt strange to be like this again before she realized this wasn't who she was anymore. She calmed down slowly to her normal self so it wouldn't be seen as a big change. She was still holding on to Darien's hand when she made "their" way to the group. She pulled him beside her and just as she was about to open her mouth her stomach growled. All eyes were focused on her small waist.  
  
"Did that just come from you?" Bulma looked with shock registered on her face. She shouldn't have been shocked because she had witnessed it several times before. Maybe it was because of their location and how her stomach's cry seemed to echo in the large, sterile room.  
  
Serena blushed under everyone's stares when a hand came to pat her head. "Same old meatball head."  
  
Vegeta entered the room and saw his younger sister with what appeared to be a weakling. "Rena, who is that?"  
  
Serena rolled her eyes. She could feel Darien tensing under her arm and she knew why too. Vegeta carried a sense of incredible power with him. All of the Saiyans did in fact, which she never really paid much attention to. She turned her head to whisper to him, "Don't worry. He won't hurt you." She turned back to Vegeta and rolled her eyes at him. "I'll tell you after I eat. Let's go." Darien was silently in awe at how they seemed to listen to her.  
  
Everyone waited for their princess to leave the room before leaving themselves. Serena made sure that Darien was close by so he wouldn't be left to the "men". They got into the kitchen and Bulma ordered up Serena's food.  
  
Her mouth was watering and her hands were getting itchy. She didn't know how long she had been out but knew it was long enough to make her want to eat a cow. Bulma's med caps could only do so much for the tenshi's appetite.  
  
Ami and Lita pulled Darien to sit with them on the other side of the large table. Serena saw them and silently thanked them with a smile. Darien smiled back, an action that didn't go unnoticed. Serena could feel something burning within her after he did. Power. Raw, fierce power. It overwhelmed her to the point that she began to feel dizzy and lightheaded.  
  
Two strong arms wrapping around her abdomen from behind accompanied the strength she felt. Serena let loose the breath she was holding and relaxed into the arms of her lover. She knew it was him from the beginning. Not because of his ki signature but by the possessiveness of his hands that were now gripping her hips and pulling her closer to his well-toned body. It was the way his mere presence made her feel anxious, excited, and totally relaxed all at once.  
  
His large hands left her hips and gently took her hands and placed them at her side. Serena once again forgot about the other people in the room. All thoughts flew out of her head when Goku placed a kiss on her shoulder, making a trail to her neck. She shivered with excitement, which immediately brought the memory of where they were back to Goku.  
  
"We'll finish this later." His baritone voice made her ache with anticipation of what was to come. Serena turned in his arms to face him.  
  
"Why not now?" It surprised her how husky her voice sounded, even as a whisper.  
  
Goku chuckled. "Because right now, we have an audience and as much as I'd like to devour you, I don't think anyone would appreciate me throwing you on their food." Goku smirked when he saw the realization in Serena's eyes. She slowly turned towards the table and saw Darien and Ami staring at her as if she had suddenly grown another head.  
  
"Hi guys." She smiled and grabbed a plate, trying to pretend her conversation with Goku didn't just happen. She looked to see if anyone else had heard but everyone else's heads were bent over their plates. They hadn't wasted any time when it came to dinner. Even Arem seemed unaffected by what had just taken place.  
  
Dinner went well. A little tense and awkward-but well. Serena introduced Darien to everyone. He was shocked to find out she had a brother, along with a sister-in-law and a nephew.  
  
When it came time to introduce the man who's lap she was sitting in, Goku was anxious, even a little nervous to hear how she would describe them and their relationship. Her words made him lose whatever doubts he may have had about her feelings for him.  
  
"Darien, I've discovered who was in those dreams I'd been having when we were together. It was Goku all along. Hopefully one day your memory will come back to you or I might be able to help when I'm stronger. Goku has been with me through thick and thin here and will stay with me for the rest of my life. Whenever we're together or not, everything just seems to fall into place about the dreams, timing, you and Mina...everything. You have been such a great friend to me and I thank you so much for protecting me while I was away from Goku. There are many things that I have discovered over the years, things I need to tell you about our past. Goku is my mate, well, my future mate and I couldn't be happier with anyone else."  
  
Serena was happy that Darien didn't ask about mates. Bulma had explained it to him over lunch one day. The question that he did ask her caught her off guard.  
  
"So where's your mark? Aren't you supposed to have one?" Darien tried to look for one on her neck or around her shoulders but couldn't find anything. Goku saw his searching as a threat and let out a small growl in warning.  
  
"Knock it off, Goku! Darien already has a mate," she said, referring to Mina while swatting his arm. Darien thought 'no I don't,' but decided to let Serena distract the powerful man under her.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
The night was cool so Serena, Darien and the girls went on a stroll. Laying in the bed for so long had made Serena stiff and it was also a good excuse to catch up with her friends' activities without interruption. She also spent some of their walk trying to explain Goku to Darien.  
  
Darien understood the way he needed to act around his best friend's lover. Though his instinct to protect her was still strong, he forced himself to trust Serena.  
  
"You promise me that he won't lay a finger on you?" Ami and Lita listened for Serena's answer to the question. The knew what Serena and Goku's relationship was like. The pretty tenshi chose her words carefully.  
  
"I can't promise you, no, I won't promise you that he won't lay a finger on me but I can promise you he will never hurt me." He noticed the specific wording she used. He was about to open his mouth but didn't. "We better get going. I'm getting tired and Goku will start looking for me soon."  
  
The small group had been sitting next to a small pond in the forest during their sharing time. Everyone rose and looked at their body prints in the grass. Serena took a few unsteady steps before remembering that she had a tail which could help her balance better. Darien's eyes nearly bugged out of his head when he saw the white appendage waving at him.  
  
"What's this?" He grabbed it without thinking and without hearing Lita's warning. Serena let out a pained scream as she fell to the ground. By the time Darien realized he made a mistake and let go, he was flying backwards and into the pond.  
  
He rose to the top, sputtering like a drowning...well, like a man who had just been thrown into a pond. He was too shocked to think anything so he made his way out of the water. Serena was seeing red and the spots in her vision were starting to fade. Lita was doing her best to calm down her down and talk some sense into her.  
  
"I can't believe you just punched him!" Lita screamed in awe.  
  
"Yeah, well that jerk shouldn't have touched my tail! It hurt so...*sniff* much." Serena broke down in tears and Lita pulled her into a hug. Ami walked over to check on the soaking Darien. "I think Bulma forgot to tell you that a Saiyan's tail is *extremely* sensitive." She smiled sheepishly and asked him if he was alright.  
  
"Yeah, I'll be fine. I just wish that someone would have told me about Saiyan tails *before* I had to find out on my own." He pressed his hands down his shirt and pants to push out the excess water.  
  
"Here," Ami said, stretching her hand out. She grabbed his wrist and sent energy through his arm, drying him off.  
  
"Neat trick. Thanks, Ami."  
  
Ami blushed. "You're welcome."  
  
Serena searched out with her mind to try to find Goku. She was extremely tired and didn't think she could handle walking anymore. Teleporting was out of the question. She didn't have enough energy reserves to do something as simple as that.  
  
Goku  
  
Where are you? she heard him ask.  
  
I'm by the forest with Lita, Ami and Darien. Can you come and get me please? I'm so worn out  
  
Within seconds, Goku was by her side, lifting her off of her feet. He turned to the Amazon.  
  
"I'm taking her home; she's too tired to walk. Do you know the way?"  
  
Ami nodded and Goku and Serena vanished from sight.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
ONE WEEK LATER.  
  
It had been a long time since she had been alone. Goku demanded that she wouldn't go anywhere without him, especially since Darien was around now. She told him there was nothing to worry about and towards the end of the week, she finally got to enjoy some free time to herself.  
  
She spent most of her day in the forest with the animals and plants before she got too lonely and called Arem to her. They spent the day talking, sharing and dreaming together, without interruptions.  
  
After dinner, Goku couldn't help himself. It was Saturday, and he hadn't been around Serena since Thursday, she insisted that they be apart for a couple days. Goku's reaction was a growl and several hours of sparring. The tall Saiyan stood up from the table and disappeared without a word. Bulma and Vegeta looked knowingly at each other and kept eating.  
  
Goku appeared behind Serena and grabbed her unsuspecting body. Serena wasn't all that surprised. In fact, she had been expecting him, knowing and loving the fact that he couldn't be away from her for very long. She knew how he felt because she was fighting everything in her to keep control herself. Goku kissed her with all his frustration and took them back to the seclusion of their room.  
Serena watched Goku turn down the sheets from her perch in his arms. She could smell his woodsy scent as he held her close, but not close enough. She missed being in his arms, feeling his muscled chest against hers and his very possessive but very gentle hands. The silver-haired woman knew that she shouldn't start anything that she knew she couldn't finish but it had been so long since she had been this close to him or this alone with him.  
  
Goku was in heaven. His *mate* was finally home with him and he could have her to himself, at last. He had the hardest time sleeping while she was gone, having become accustomed to holding her while they dreamt. He hated waking up in the morning, hugging his pillows to his chest. It always resulted in a sparring match with Vegeta who was more than happy to help.  
  
He was surprised when he felt Serena nuzzling his neck. Her lips tickled his neck as they traveled up and down, leaving a trail of hot kisses. She heard Goku moan.  
  
"Serena..." Goku's hoarse voice made Serena shiver. She missed *this*, she missed hearing him call her name. An overwhelming urge to bite him came over her, but she resisted and nibbled on his neck instead.  
  
Goku could feel her teeth grazing the skin on his shoulder. It heightened his pleasure and he found himself wanting to do the same to her. His blood was boiling in his veins, trying to find some release when suddenly he felt a slight pain near his neck. It was followed by tingling sensations and Serena's fast tongue. He could smell his blood with his sensitive nose and felt Serena's tongue burning into his skin. Pleasure coursed from his neck, throughout his body and his hands became alive on her body, trying to pull her as close as possible to him.  
As soon as Serena bit down, the smell of his blood filled her nostrils and she found herself liking the taste of the red fluid. As she lapped it up, she could feel a new sensation, new feelings pounding into her. She was bombarded with memories not her own, leaving her body to the mercies of Goku.  
  
The full-blooded Saiyan stopped when he felt Serena's lack of participation. All the emotions and sensations that had been going through his body were quickly replaced with worry.  
  
"Serena." He shook her shoulder softly, then more vigorously when she didn't respond. "Serena!" She sat on the bed with eyes glazed over, watching scenes of Goku's past play in her mind.  
  
"BULMA!" Goku rushed her silver, glowing body to C4, where Bulma could help him.  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Ami was walking to a lake she found in the very extensive Black Forest. It was a spot she designated as hers, a place where she could meditate or practice her water and ice attacks and tricks.  
  
A cool wind blew and the water sprite let her hair out of the loose braid it was in. Thick blue strands whipped around as the wind lifted it higher and faster around her fully blossomed figure. Ami smiled. She was truly happy today. Her family of scouts was almost complete. There were just four more people to go until everyone was back. Being lost in thought, she didn't hear the person that was sneaking up behind her. The snapping of a twig brought her out of her thoughts. She was scared and to scrape for more time to form a plan of defense, she kept walking, hoping the person following her wouldn't attack in the mean time.  
  
She inwardly smiled as her attack plan was set in her mind. Ami was no longer afraid of confrontations. She had enough self-confidence to help her believe in herself; she also knew that if she needed help, it would be there for her. Her strands of blue glowed with a silver hue as they whipped around her. She could feel the person coming closer to her and readied herself.  
  
A strong hand grabbed her shoulder and she turned around to see who it was that had been following her.  
  
"GOHAN!" It was too late. Her hair had already touched his arm and leg and they were slowly starting to freeze.  
  
"What's going on?" He looked down in horror to see his body slowly being covered in ice. He was too stunned to move. Nothing like this had ever happened before and he didn't know how to react. With his free hand, he tried to hit the block of ice that surrounded his arm but all he felt was pain.  
  
Ami's skin was turning blue with the use of her ice powers. It wasn't harmful to her in any way. She discovered a long time ago that when she used her ice powers, her skin would turn blue. When she scanned herself to see what the effect would be on her, the computer read nothing other than the fact that it was her body's way of warning off attackers.  
  
"Ami! Get this off of me!" he exclaimed in an angry tone! Gohan's muscular body was slowly freezing and soon he would turn into a block of ice if she didn't think fast. She'd always wondered in the back of her mind whether what she was about to do would actually work.  
  
'Well, there's no time like the present,' she told herself. Her hair changed back to its natural color, signifying that the freezing effects it had were gone. She looked at Gohan and averted her eyes from his. She didn't want to see what he would think of her after she did this.  
  
She quickly lifted herself onto her toes to and crushed her lips to his. Once again, Gohan was too stunned to think, this being the first time he had ever been kissed in his entire life. He soon found himself kissing her back, reacting to her burning, cold lips on his. The Son never realized that her lips were getting warmer or the magic tingling from her lips to his. His whole body was on fire as her hands wandered over his defrosting body. The restraint of the ice was frustrating him and the fact that he couldn't be torturing her in return made him madder at himself.  
  
Ami tried to think but it was pointless. Her mind had no control over her body, which scared her since it was only the second time it had happened. The first time was when she first met the Saiyan named Gohan. After she had kissed him, she was afraid that he would be mad at her for taking advantage of him in his frozen state, but when he started responding, her worry was replaced with waves of pleasure and heat.  
  
Because of the feelings that she had when they first met, Ami had purposely been avoiding him. She had never felt that way towards anyone before and now that she was feeling this way towards someone, she didn't know what to do. Matters of the mind had always been easy for her but matters of the heart were a different matter all together. A few smirks here and glance or two there were all that passed between them.  
  
The blue-nette tried to think but couldn't. The strong hands that were mapping out her body made it impossible for any thoughts to form. All that she could think were colors. Red, blue, white, yellow, the colors of fire because that's what she was feeling right now and that's what was taking over her mind. His fiery kisses and touches burned themselves into her skin, making her want him all the more.  
  
His mouth left hers and she whimpered at the absence of him but he continued again down her neck. Gohan didn't understand the feelings he felt but his body convinced him that he liked it. His lips found their way to her soft neck, where he nibbled on the skin. Thoughts of breaking her skin by biting her flew through his mind but his mind chimed back in, telling him it wasn't a good idea, reminding him that he didn't like the taste of blood.  
  
Ami shivered when she felt his teeth graze her skin and found herself wanting him to complete the task. Somewhere in the back of her mind, something was telling her it wasn't a good idea, but her body was fighting it and winning. Soon, her lips and tongue were creating a trail from his jaw, down to the base of his neck. She licked and liked the saltiness of his skin. Wanting to show Gohan exactly how much pleasure she received when he did it, she mimicked him and nibbled gently on his tanned skin.  
  
Gohan's growl excited her senseless and she continued to nibble his shoulder and back to her original spot. Her mouth began to water and a desire stronger than the one she was already feeling took over her. Without thinking, she bit down on his neck and drew blood. Quickly, she lapped at it and felt a new pleasure take over her mind and body.  
  
The younger Son felt an animalistic pleasure when the water demon, as he called her, began her assault on his neck. 'So this is what it feels like,' was the last thought that was allowed to travel through his mind. Gohan jolted at the pressure of her teeth sinking into his rough skin. A loud roar escaped his throat when she cut through the layers but the pain of the deed soon melted away and was quickly replaced with wave after wave of bliss. His skin tingled as her tongue licked the blood off of him and he brought her closer to him, letting her feel the need he had for her.  
  
Like his father, his heart froze when the ministrations stopped and Ami fell limp in his arms. He was grateful that he was holding her and just like his father, he tried to revive her but it was hopeless. Gohan noticed that her body was getting cold and he knew that she wasn't dying because he could feel her ki and her pulse beating in him. He picked her up princess- style and flew as fast as he could to find Bulma.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Bulma was out in the gardens with Trunks, Goten and Arem when she was suddenly informed that two Saiyans were looking for her. Goku was the first to appear and nearly pulled the blue-haired scientist with him to the medical room.\  
  
"Goku! Calm down you brute and tell me what happened!" Bulma was furious. How many times was she going to be pulled in by him?  
  
We were at my house and things were starting to get heated up! All we were doing was kissing.and a few other things and she passed out! I know nothing physical has happened to her but I don't know what's going on in her mind and I think that's where the problem is. She just all of a sudden stopped reacting and fell limp! I know it's not in her body because her blood smells the same, I can't detect any poison or illness in her."  
  
Bulma sighed in frustration. "Well, Goku. You're going to have to be more specific so I can know how to find out what's wrong with her." She saw him pacing around her and grew agitated. "SIT DOWN FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!"  
  
Goku quickly obeyed, knowing full well that her temper exceeded that of his wife, who had passed away several years ago. His hands were in his hair, pulling at the soft, durable strands. "I can't think of anything, and I know that no one's coming out of her or whatever you call it.being born again."  
  
Bulma took a quick scan over her patient with her eyes before noticing a little red spot at the corner of her mouth. She quickly wiped it with her gloved hand and held it up to her eye. Blood.  
  
"Goku, who's blood is this?" Goku looked at her and couldn't think of the answer. "Goku."  
  
"I heard you the first time. Let me think, woman." He closed his eyes and tried to replay the scene from his bedroom. "I don't know, it could be hers, could be mine." his voice trailed off, leaving Bulma hanging. She wiped the blood on the sleeve of the blue med-coat and walked over to Goku. Something was itching to be remembered in her mind and she had a pretty good idea of what it was.  
  
"Miss Bulma, Son Gohan is heading this way, looking for you. He's bringing Miss Ami with him."  
  
"Thank you, Sam. Tell him to come in here."  
  
"Yes ma'am."  
  
Goku was watching as Bulma hovered over him with a quizzical look on her face. "Shut up and stay still." Her eyes searched his arms for signs of blood but she couldn't find any. As her searching reached higher, she noticed a darker spot on his already dark blue shirt. "Take off your shirt," she commanded.  
  
Bulma had seen her friend shirtless many times before and so their was no awkwardness for either when he obeyed her. Goku didn't take his eyes off of his sleeping angel the whole time he was taking off his shirt and waiting for Bulma's medical opinion. He didn't even wince when she cleaned off his bloody shoulder.  
  
She gasped.  
  
Teeth marks.  
  
"What? What's going on?" Goku's voice was barely heard amidst Bulma's rampant thoughts.  
  
'I can't believe she did this! Well, I can but.what am I saying? She knew what was going to happen.oh well. Might as well tell lover boy there's nothing to worry about.'  
  
"Bulma! Tell me what's going on!" Goku was insistent, especially since the woman who always had something to say wasn't saying anything.  
  
She silently began cleaning herself off, taking off her lab coat, throwing her gloves away, all without one word to Goku. She knew that he was probably getting angry at her for not saying anything to him but she didn't know how to tell him. She knew he'd probably love the idea and that it wasn't a bad thing that she had bonded with him already but.she didn't know what she was thinking.  
  
"Goku," she said, pausing by Serena's bed, "she bit you right?"  
  
"Yeah, and what does that have to do with her passing out?"  
  
"Goku, think will you? What does it mean to a Saiyan when they are bitten and blood is drawn?" She let out an exasperated sigh when she saw the blank look on his face. "You know what? I don't want to talk to you right now. How about you go and ask Vegeta. Tell him she bit you and he'll tell you what you want to know okay? Just.leave. Don't worry about Serena, she'll be fine, I promise you."  
  
Goku didn't know what to do except listen to Bulma. He was frustrated, sexually if nothing else so he got up to find his sparring partner.  
  
Moments later, Gohan flew through the door with a blue load in his arms. "Oh my gosh! Like father, like son!" Bulma waved to another bed that was stationed next to Serena's. "What happened?"  
  
Gohan, who was not as "open" as his father, did his best to tell her what happened. "She bit me and passed out, or at least I think that's why she passed out."  
  
'How did he come to this conclusion faster than his father? Oh, that's right. His mother.' "Lay her there, next to Serena." Bulma immediately checked Ami's mouth and found what she was looking for. Blood. "Is this your blood?"  
  
Gohan shrugged, "It could be. She bit me on my shoulder, right here next to my neck." Gohan took of his shirt and showed Bulma the marks Ami's teeth left. She took a deep breath.  
  
"Gohan, has anyone told you the significance of biting someone, specifically someone of the opposite gender?" He thought for a moment, searching in his memory banks. "I think.no, probably not. I do remember Vegeta laughing about it once when I was younger. He said something about not letting a girl bite me or I'd be stuck with them forever."  
  
Bulma shook her head. 'Leave it up to Vegeta.good job Bulma.' "Okay, I need to explain something to you." She thought for a moment. "Gohan, where's Mirai?"  
  
"He's off sparring with Lita again. I swear those two were made for each other."  
  
Bulma didn't think anything else of it and proceeded to teach Gohan about his heritage.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
Off in the war zone of the black forest, Mirai and Lita were battling. Lita had been working on endurance and so Mirai had kindly agreed to fight her without transforming.  
  
'She's a girl, go easy...' was his chant.  
  
'He's a boy, go easy on him,' was Lita's chant. A blur of purple and green was all that could be seen in their battle. "Are you sure you don't have any Saiyan in you?" he managed to say while holding her fist in his hand.  
  
Lita smirked. "Nope. I'm pure Jovian, a race bred to fight and protect."  
  
"Hmm, sounds like me. So Jovians are from Jupiter, right?"  
  
"Yup." Lita was sweating heavily from her workout with Mirai. Sure he was cute, well, way beyond cute in her mind. She would even go as far as calling him taesch, a term she had come up with to describe the hottest man she could ever conjure up in her mind's eye. Yup, he was definitely taesch. Just because he had a nice face and body, didn't mean she would try to keep it that way.  
  
The Amazon searched for a distraction, any distraction and from what Bulma told her, she knew exactly what to do. Looking down at her shirt, she yelled, "What the hell did you do to my shirt?"  
  
Mirai looked at the article of clothing she had called a shirt. It was torn in all the *wrong* places, giving him a rather delicious look at what he'd like for his own. He knew he should have apologized, being the gentleman that he was but he couldn't form words as her cleavage called to him. Sailor Jupiter was very well-endowed and now Mirai was coming to understand that.  
  
CRACK!  
  
Mirai flew backwards and felt pain surge through his jaw and down his body, crashing into several trees before coming to a stop. His vision was blurred. 'That girl really knows how to punch!' The purple-haired man stood, or wobbled rather for a few seconds before his body planted itself strong on the sod of the forest. Quietly, searched for her ki so he could sneak up on her. From all the battles he had been in, he knew better than to head into the air without searching for your enemy first.  
  
Within seconds he found her trying to hide in the trees. "Oh you're not going to be there for very long, my little firefly." Mirai began the hunt by lowering his ki level. He knew already that she knew how to sense it, having trained with his younger self and Goten. He slowed down and saw her after much searching, sitting in the lower branches of a tree. It made sense. He could fly, why sit up high where he could see her easily?  
  
He looked at her and felt a bit uneasy. Something was different. She was sitting there, bruised and battered but had a smirk on her face. Something had happened between the time she had punched him and now.  
  
Lita was ready to try out her new moves and sat, waiting for Mirai to get closer. He was so predictable. Of course, cocky people usually are. When he reached the desired distance, she nodded her head and Mirai was confused until he felt hundreds of smooth, glowing things surrounding his body. They were getting tighter and tighter the more he struggled and he remembered from a botany lesson that with this particular plant, the more you struggled, the tighter the vines got.  
  
He stopped struggling and floated, waiting for the vines to release him. They stopped tightening just as he had hoped but their grip didn't loosen at all. "What?"  
  
The demi-saiyan heard chuckling in the background. "What's the matter Mirai Trunks? The plants caught you?" Lita laughed again and floated up to where her prey was being held between four large trees. She was a few inches away from him and could feel his heated breath on her.  
  
"Whatcha gonna do now, prince of the Saiyans?" Mirai's body and mind were going out of whack from the closeness of their bodies. All he could think about was kissing her.  
  
'Why not?' He back at her, his eyes burning into her bright green ones. "This." A smirk covered his lips before he covered hers with his. Lita's mind melted along with the control she had over the vines. Trunks got loose enough to break free of them and grab her in a bear hug.  
  
Lita opened her eyes and noticed that she was now being held tightly, her back against his very defined, very desirable chest.  
  
"What's the matter my little lightning bug? Did you get caught?" His laughed rumbled in his chest and through her back. She reveled in the feeling before remembering her situation.  
  
"Nope," she said before biting down on the arm closest to her mouth. Mirai growled and let go immediately, giving Lita enough room and time to take to the sky. She licked the blood off of her lips and a few seconds later she began to black out. Her cry for help was barely heard, thanks to Mirai's sensitive hearing.  
  
He watched her fall for a while before thinking 'maybe she isn't joking'. Then he began to worry. 'maybe I squeezed her too hard, maybe." his thoughts ran away from him as he flew towards her body. He caught her with a few feet to spare. Without giving time for thought, he flew off to Capsule Corp to find Bulma.  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
  
The doors to C4 slid open with an out of breath Saiyan stomping in. "What the hell is going on here!" cried Bulma when she saw her son carrying in yet another one of Serena's friends.  
  
"We were sparring, I put her in a bear hug, she bit me, flew off and then passed out. I caught her before she hit the ground though." He lay her on the table without Bulma having to tell him so.  
  
"Did she pass out before or after she fell in the sky?"  
  
"She passed out before she fell. Look at this! She freakin' bit a chunk of my arm off!"  
  
Bulma just rolled her eyes at her over-dramatic son. "Well what did you do to deserve that?" she asked.  
  
"All I did was kissed her, but it was so she'd let me go! She got her forest and sicked it on me! I couldn't get out of the vine-hold she put me in and she was really close so I kissed her."  
  
"And then you put her in the bear hug right after you kissed her?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"All right, sit down and let's get you cleaned up."  
  
Mirai grumbled as he found a chair next to Gohan. "She better not have rabies."  
  
- - - - - - - - - - - - - -  
That's all for now. I'm really sorry for the incredibly long time it took me to write this. It took a lot for me to write this story.a lot of well, time and I didn't have the right motivation. If you'd like to be notified of updates and stuff, go to:  
  
groups.msn.com/NewWayofLiving  
  
and become a member.  
  
Please read the "New Members-read me" and I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. If not, review me. If so, review me anyway.  
  
Echo Huntress 


	31. The Blaze

* I just wanted to say that if you'd like to be notified of when this story gets updated, you can just email me at:  
  
echohunter1@hotmail.com  
  
I also wanted to say that for those authors who write for SM as well, there is a new archive going up that I've created and it's strictly for SM Alternate Reality/Universe Fics. The address is  
  
www.geocities.com/elysian_tears  
  
Please check it out-I hope its something that you'll be interested in visiting as well as submitting to. I'm looking for authors to submit their works since mine are just sitting there by themselves.  
  
Echo   
  
--------------  
  
LAST TIME...  
  
The doors to C4 slid open with an out of breath Saiyan stomping in. "What the hell is going on here!" cried Bulma when she saw her son carrying in yet another one of Serena's friends.  
  
"We were sparring, I put her in a bear hug, she bit me, flew off and then passed out. I caught her before she hit the ground though." He lay her on the table without Bulma having to tell him so.   
  
"Did she pass out before or after she fell from the sky?"  
  
"She passed out before she fell. Look at this! She freakin' bit a chunk of my arm off!"   
  
Bulma just rolled her eyes at her over-dramatic son. "Well what did you do to deserve that?" she asked.  
  
"All I did was kissed her, but it was so she'd let me go! She got her forest and sicked it on me! I couldn't get out of the vine-hold she put me in and she was really close so I kissed her."  
  
"And then you put her in the bear hug right after you kissed her?"  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"All right, sit down and let's get you cleaned up."  
  
Mirai grumbled as he found a chair next to Gohan. "She better not have rabies."  
  
--------------  
  
CHAPTER 31: The Blaze  
  
Bulma had kicked the two demi-saiyans out of the hospital wing so she could keep what was left of her sanity. Goku had left long before to take out his frustrations on Vegeta and hadn't returned since. She remembered when her and Vegeta had first bonded. He had taken care of her so gently, she couldn't believe it. Vegeta, however, knew what he was doing. He had grown up with others of his kind and learned about it in while living on his home planet. The others, she wasn't quite sure if they knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. Serena might have and Goku even less, but the others, not at all. She prayed to Kami that everything would work out in the end. Especially for her older son and Lita.  
  
--------------  
  
The elder Saiyans were taking a break from their ritual sparring session to get some food. Vegeta could sense some uneasiness on Goku's part and it was annoying him that the idiot hadn't just come out and ask it, whatever it was. And that was the annoying part. He had no clue what was bothering him.  
  
"Just hurry up and ask. I can see it in your eyes, Kakkarot." He bit off a piece of meat they had acquired from hunting.  
  
"Do you...remember at all if Serena used to faint this much back in the Silver Millennium?"  
  
Vegeta knew his friend's sensitivity level had grown since Serena had appeared all those many years ago so he was careful with his answer.  
  
"Of course not you idiot. But then, she hadn't been having all these complications that she has now. Don't worry, if I know anything about my sister, or Lunarians at all, this will pass eventually. Sooner rather than later."   
  
The rest of the meal was eaten in silence. After all these years of constantly fighting and becoming closer friends, it had gotten to the point where just being in each other's presence was enough conversation. Vegeta had never been much for words unless fighting an enemy and then it was just used as a distraction.  
  
--------------  
  
Serena was the first to wake. She had a huge head ache and felt anger and hurt inside of her. She knew she had no reason to be angry or hurting, nothing had happened to her and as she concentrated more on the source of the feelings, she recognized them as Goku's. The blonde could feel his strong emotions decreasing and listened to his thoughts. He was sparring with Vegeta again and struggling. Because of her.  
  
She wanted to watch him fight, wanted to see his body glistening with sweat. Serena masked her ki and teleported to the designated battle zone. It was in a clearing of trees and she had discovered the perfect hiding spot one day after getting knocked there by one of the boys. It was an old oak tree that was indestructible. Bulma had placed it there with a sonar/monitor so she could call the guys home or peek in on them every once in a while. Naturally, she and Serena were the only people that knew about it being there. Woman's prerogative.  
  
Quickly, she scribbled a note for Bulma and left the medical wing. This really had to stop, the passing out or fainting. Whatever was happening to her was getting annoying. As soon as she was out in the open, she lowered her ki to find Goku without being noticed to make sure he was still there. Him and her brother were in a heated battle again so she masked her energy levels and stretched her wings. Oh, it felt so good to have those muscles stretched again. It had been too long since she last had that privilege.  
  
Serena took to the sky and soared as if that were her natural means of transportation. Once she could physically see the two men she loved, she resorted to flying without her wings and lowered into the green and brown cover the trees provided. There was the oak tree and there went her wings, into the invisible realm they came from. She floated to her perch in the tree and let her tail wave in the air behind her.  
  
--------------  
  
It had been a couple hours since their lunch break and Goku was still fighting hard. Under normal circumstances, he should have been tiring by now since they were in their 7th hour of "playing", but all the sexual frustration he'd been having had still not burned off.  
  
Punches flew, blood splattered and the "playing" kept going. Vegeta had been winning nor losing but had enough pretty scratches to send Bulma shaking her head at him. He was so happy to have found her. After all those years of losing two families and traveling with Frieza, the Prince had given up all hope of ever using his heart. It had been frozen with time and all the bloodshed he had participated in. At first, it began as seeking revenge for what he lost and as time passed the original motives for fighting were forgotten.  
  
The first time he met Bulma, she showed no fear, he thought because she didn't know who he was or his reputation. She defied him. She ordered him about. She was a challenge and he loved every minute of her temper. Finally! Someone who was his match. On her planet, she was almost royalty and probably would have been because of the importance of her father who had advanced the technology on earth by leaps and bounds.   
  
Before Bulma, his heart was ice. The first time he met her, she threw it straight into a blazing inferno and now, his heart was the source of the fire.  
  
As Serena sat and watched them, she could feel guilt. As she searched for the source of these feelings, she discovered they belonged to him. Her him.   
  
'Why should he be feeling guilt?' With every punch and kick Goku delivered to Vegeta, Serena was hit with emotion after emotion. The wind slightly picked up and strands of her silver hair tried to float towards the battle field but Serena grabbed them and tucked them into the braid on her shoulder.  
  
Goku stilled and cocked his head. Vegeta was sending a punch to his face and he raised his hand and grabbed the punch.  
  
"Wait."  
  
'Thank Kami.' Vegeta knew what had stopped Kakkarot. He was just surprised that the Saiyan was able to pick it up, having been sucked into the sparring as much as they were.  
  
Vegeta disappeared and Goku followed. Serena was startled and was getting shifty. She checked her ki and it was still masked. Right before Goku disappeared, she saw him look her way, but it must have been a mistake because there was no way he could have picked up her up if she was masking her energy.   
  
She saw herself sitting in the tree and in an instant, she was pulled back to a hard, stone-like surface. Her mind was being overtaken by images of sweat, sheets, and wandering hands. Her pulse sped up immensely when she realized those hands were no longer just images she was seeing. They were wandering her body, lighting small fires where skin touched skin. Breathing soon became a chore, something she had to do consciously.   
  
"How did you know I was here..." The hands were now being covered with her own as they sat on her hips, pulling her closer to the soft wall with arms and a very intoxicating scent.  
  
The whisper came slow. "Because of your tail, my dear. You were waving it in the air, allowing me to smell that which is distinctly you." He gently grabbed at the silver thing he was referring to and a moan escaped her lips. Goku had to do his best to repress the urge to take her right then and there in the wild and instead transported them back to a small, one-bedroom house.  
  
--------------  
  
Bulma was back in the room and had found the note from Serena telling her that she went to see "the boys". She could feel something or someone in the room with her but didn't turn fast enough to see who it was.   
  
It felt like steel and velvet. The scent of her husband danced in her pert little nose, driving her senses went wild.  
  
"You're home early."  
  
Vegeta shifted his arms to hang over her shoulders and meet at her chest. "Looks like it." Bulma could feel heat building.  
  
"Good, and now you can take a shower. You stink and you're getting your dirty self all over me!"  
  
"You know you like it," was his cocky response. He could smell the changes in his mate's body. "Now that I've soiled your precious clothes and your sweet skin, it looks as if I'm going to have to take you with me." With a chuckle and a gasp, the two disappeared.  
  
--------------  
  
Darien was off with the younger boys. He had studied many forms of martial arts since he was a teenager and self-defense in his orphaned childhood. He was still walking and a week had passed of the hard training. Every once in a while, he'd let himself wander how these two small boys had grown to be so powerful. It must have been their heritage.  
  
Today, Goten informed the masked crusader that he would be learning how to fly.  
  
"It's simple. Imagine your energy as a big fluffy cotton ball, as big as this planet." Darien was sure that was true since his powers came from the planet, maybe though, not this one.  
  
"Okay, big cotton ball. Then what?"  
  
"Okay, so you have that ball and you want to shrink it into a smaller one. Then, it's like the ball is a guide. You want to go straight, picture the ball in front of you going in a straight line. You wanna go to the left, the ball goes to the left, right, right..."  
  
He liked how this boy was explaining things as only a child could. Pictures. Serena must have picked up on this pretty easily. She was definitely a visual learner.  
  
"Oh, one thing," the purple-haired boy added, "when you want to stop from falling, pretend your ball looks like a pancake, so it spreads out underneath you, like a big cushion. That should stop you from hitting the ground."  
  
One hour later, Darien was flying.  
  
--------------  
  
In Capsule Corp, a couple had finally emerged from an hour-long bath.   
  
"Well, that was refreshing," Bulma remarked as she wrapped her hair in a fuzzy blue towel.  
  
"Remind me to get you sweaty more often." After taking another hour to get dressed, Bulma and Vegeta wandered down to the kitchen to grab something to curb their appetites. There, they ran into Mirai and Gohan.  
  
"Well, what have you two trouble-makers been up to?" Bulma teased.   
  
"Nothing much, Bulma." Gohan was already ordering his food from Sam, enough food to feed 5 normal people, including seconds.  
  
"We're just drawing out blue-prints of the new city and the new earth. The continents' shapes have changed thanks to those damned druids but they've been taken care of, thankfully. We had to go and fly around the world to make a new map. Expanding the population isn't going to be very easy either."  
  
"We haven't been very successful in finding many survivors. In fact, the only thing we've been finding a lot of is destruction. Not a lot can be saved and restored, but..."  
  
Things were getting interesting now. Mirai usually wasn't very shy about anything, except women of course. Gohan went on to explain how they wanted the girls to come back with them and help them do a little bit of building, Ami working the technology and Lita, to help nature along.  
  
"That sounds like a great plan, boys. I'm glad you're keeping yourselves busy. I hope I'm able to get a sneak peek at your world Mirai, I want to see what you guys have come up with."  
  
"We'll figure something out one day, mother."  
  
"I know you will."  
  
--------------  
  
Serena looked at the strange little cabin she was in. There was only one room furnished with a stove, sink area, a door she was hoping led to the bathroom area, a fireplace and a bed.  
  
"Where are we?"  
  
Goku tossed a small ball of energy into the fireplace, lighting the sitting logs instantly.  
  
"We're in my cabin. I used to live here when I was younger and still come here every once in a while." Pictures played in her head of Goku looking exactly like Goten, living with a man whom she guessed was...  
  
"Your grandfather?"  
  
"Yeah," he said scratching his head. "I lived here after my grandfather found me one day while he was in the forest." She listened to his many stories and soon found herself curled in his lap. His low voice, rumbled in his chest and through her body as his hand rubbed her back, gently soothing her.  
  
Serena knew what she wanted to happen tonight but didn't know if she was brave enough to get things started. She just sat in his lap and shifted her head so she could see his. When he felt her move, he turned his head down and stared straight into her eyes. Nothing needed to be said. Their hearts, being one in many ways, already knew what would come.   
  
Goku leaned down and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. He carefully tucked a strand of silver behind an ear and kissed her jaw line. The butterfly kisses trailed her face while heat and tension coiled within her. Serena could feel doubt in her mind, Goku's doubt. Things quickly heated up on the bed and then Goku broke contact suddenly, shocking Serena into a stupor.   
  
"What? Why?"  
  
Goku couldn't look at her. He knew what was going to happen. It always happened. He would be ready to demonstrate his love to her and she would pass out or disappear.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Serena practiced controlled breathing to try to cool the burning fire inside. As she did, her mind became clear and she could hear the doubts that her lover was having. Ever so carefully, she slid her hand into his larger one and used the other to turn his face to her.   
  
"I'm not going anywhere." Goku's eyes lit up for a brief second, blazing with passion and then it died down again.  
  
"I..."  
  
"I promise." She took his hand and pointer finger and made an "x" over her left breast. "Cross my heart." Goku silently rejoiced as he pulled his little tenshi into his lap for a deep, heated kiss.  
  
They spent the night exploring the Saiyan and Lunarian anatomy and became one in heart, mind, soul, and body and as the fire in the fireplace turned to mere embers, the fire of their love, blazed through the cool summer's night. 


	32. Recover, Relax, Replenish

---------------  
  
Goku leaned down and gently pressed his lips to her forehead. He carefully tucked a strand of silver behind an ear and kissed her jaw line. The butterfly kisses trailed her face while heat and tension coiled within her. Serena could feel doubt in her mind, Goku's doubt. Things quickly heated up on the bed and then Goku broke contact suddenly, shocking Serena into a stupor.   
  
"What? Why?"  
  
Goku couldn't look at her. He knew what was going to happen. It always happened. He would be ready to demonstrate his love to her and she would pass out or disappear.  
  
"Nothing."  
  
Serena practiced controlled breathing to try to cool the burning fire inside. As she did, her mind became clear and she could hear the doubts that her lover was having. Ever so carefully, she slid her hand into his larger one and used the other to turn his face to her.   
  
"I'm not going anywhere." Goku's eyes lit up for a brief second, blazing with passion and then it died down again.  
  
"I..."  
  
"I promise." She took his hand and pointer finger and made an "x" over her left breast. "Cross my heart." Goku silently rejoiced as he pulled his little tenshi into his lap for a deep, heated kiss.  
  
They spent the night exploring each other and became one in heart, mind, soul, and body. And as the fire in the fireplace turned to mere embers, the fire of their love, blazed through the cool summer's night.  
  
---------------  
  
Chapter 32  
  
Serena woke up the most rested she had ever been. As she lay on her side, her fingers brushed over the healed bite marks at her neck. Last night had been a wonderful experience and their bond had finally been completed. Her memories and knowledge were now Goku's, and when he experienced the memory rush, it was painful. She laid in their bed and held him until all side effects had passed.  
  
Her stomach growled and she attempted to roll out of bed but a strong arm at her waist prevented her from doing such. Every time she tried to pull away, the arm held her stronger, pulling her closer to the warm body next to her.   
  
"Stay."  
  
She knew she couldn't refuse him anything and fell back asleep to the rhythm of his heart beat.  
  
Serena woke a few hours later to a slight bouncing. When she forced her eyes open, she saw Goku smiling down at her.  
  
"Good morning, beautiful." He kissed her gently, reminding him that was what started their explorations the night before.  
  
"Where are we going?"  
  
He smiled and kept walking with a naked Serena in his arms, tails intertwined. He lowered her into a large tub filled with warm water and bubbles. They spent the morning in the tub until all the food was eaten and the water ended up all over the floor.  
  
---------------  
  
"Vegeta, I'm worried about Goku and Serena. I haven't seen them since before you guys left to go 'play'."  
  
Vegeta kissed Bulma into a quiet submission. "Don't worry about them. Goku just went to finish what he started."  
  
"Oh. Alright." It was unbelievable that Bulma had so much faith and trust in the one man she thought was going to kill them all, those many years ago when they first met. Now, she couldn't trust anyone more, he had proven it time and time again when evil reared its ugly head.  
  
She was excited. The project she, Serena and Ami were working on was almost finished and she knew Vegeta would love it. She was doing it for him, after all.  
  
"Alright you big oaf. I have to get going and get to work."  
  
"You and your work," he mocked. "Don't you do anything else?"  
  
"Yes I do, thank you very much. I'm usually entertaining your sister, taking care of your kids or taking care of you."  
  
Vegeta's signature smirk appeared on his handsome face. "And which do you prefer doing out of those three?" He pulled her closer to his chest with his hands on her hips.   
  
"Oh, entertaining your sister is my personal favorite. She's so easy to get along with, unlike her hot-headed brother."  
  
A growl and pounce was his only reply.  
  
---------------  
  
Ami woke on a medical bed and saw Lita lying next to her.   
  
"Miss Ami. I'm glad to see you are awake again. Shall I inform Bulma..."  
  
Ami shook her head. "No, don't worry about it. Just let her know when she wants to, there's no rush."  
  
"Very good, Miss."  
  
The blue-haired water mistress lay still. She was too shaken up to do anything, including moving into a more comfortable position. She had just been through one of the most beautiful and scary experiences ever. She spent the last few days in darkness, in memories that didn't belong to her. She saw life, death, and destruction. Tears of sadness and tears of joy, mostly through the eyes of a 10 year-old boy. Gohan had been through so much when he was little. Training and defeating every monster and obstacle that was in his way at such a young age. Probables would have told her that the little boy she saw would have serious problems, mentally, emotionally and physically from the rigorous life that had been placed on him.   
  
He watched his father die right in front of him. He stood up for the man when no one else was around to. Gohan, the little boy, had a love that not many could claim as theirs for a father who was never around, yet he never lost faith that he would come back. Ami could feel the guilt he carried with him while he was on Namek. His friend and sensei died saving him, something he could have done for himself. She could feel his fear of the strength he knew he had, a fear for not being able to control it. He was there to see Vegeta and the powerful ape he turned into on their first encounter. The destruction he caused was unstoppable and he never wanted anything to do with it.   
  
Ami could feel Gohan's love for peace, his love for gentleness, though when she looked at him her thoughts were anything but gentle. He grew up loving the company of his family and friends, loved it when everyone got a long and there was no fighting, no evil to protect the world against. There was always doubt about their mission to save earth. Is it worth losing a father or friend over? We could just run away and leave him here to take over the planet. We could use the dragonballs to wish us to another place.   
  
Then she felt admiration for his father, the man who showed no fear when it came to foe. It was a challenge, almost a game and that made him mad a few times. How could his father treat such things lightly? Death was not a light subject even though they could be wished back.   
  
Ami lay still. Her mind froze from the mental overload, a first for her. Sleep would be the best thing to do now. So she did.  
  
Ami's mind didn't even recognize the shifting that went on beside her. Lita was lying still on her soft matress. She, like Ami, was too overwhelmed by emotions to say anything. Her eyes were red and puffy, the pillow under her head was soaked with saline and she was cold.   
  
The memories she had seen were horrific. She had never cried so much in her life. She bawled when the little boy's father died. She bawled again when his best friend died. Her heart was torn when she saw how much he had to run to hide from the monsters that made a game of beating him time and time again. Everything he felt, everything he saw, tasted and smelled, she was right there with him. Every. Painful. Step.  
  
She cried when the father he never knew shunned him and cried harder as she saw the heartbreak from rejection in his eyes every time they shared words. When Mirai saw his best friend's father for the first time, a legend in his own time, a light entered his eyes that she hadn't seen before. Hope. When he saw a younger Gohan, a different Gohan, his eyes lit up even more at the hope of finding his best friend in this time. He had and his heart was filled that much more.   
  
When Mirai realized how much his father actually cared for him and saw the way Vegeta treated his younger self, he was happy, knowing that's how it would've been. Mirai didn't once wish his life could have been different because to wish that would mean he was ungrateful. He was sad for not being able to grow up with a father the way Trunks did, but he was much happier now with the relationship he had with Vegeta. He knew how proud his father was of him, of the way he grew up and the man he turned into.   
  
Lita lost the malice she had towards him and only had compassion in her heart for the man she knew as Mirai. With all this information to process, her mind allowed her to sleep again and let everything "soak in".  
  
-------------  
  
Gohan and Mirai took Goten and Trunks up to Kami's Tower with them. It was about time they took a vacation, even if they were on the same planet and not very far from home. To be away from danger was to be on vacation and Dende was very happy to have company, along with Mr. Popo. The two younger ones went off with Mr. Popo to help him in his gardens and the older ones went with Dende to visit Corrin.  
  
Gohan, Mirai, and Dende were all good friends since the Namek episode. Even though the Namekian was Kami and keeper of the earth, he knew when it was time to work and when it was time to play. Now was definitely the time for the latter.  
  
"So, Dende. Can you see any hot Namekians from up here? Don't you have that little crystal ball somewhere?" Mirai threw a smug look at his green friend who was currently pink in the cheeks.  
  
"I know better than to use my powers for personal pleasure. Besides, the only Nameks on this planet are Piccolo and I, so there would be no point in even trying to locate one. Besides, from what I saw, you two looked like you had your hands full with some beautiful women of your own not too long ago." It was Mirai's turn to blush while Gohan took the defensive.  
  
"I thought you said you didn't use your powers for personal pleasure." Dende smiled.  
  
"I wasn't. I sensed some large energy readings near the both of you and since your families are acquainted with danger, I thought vacation time was over. Apparently, it was just getting started for the two of you." It was Dende's turn to smirk and Gohan's turn to blush.  
  
"And you couldn't help but watch huh?" Mirai wasn't smirking anymore.   
  
"Naturally. It's not every day one sees his friends, two of the strongest people on this planet, get immobilized by women." That comment landed two punches in the arm and laughs from the group. Corrin heard them coming and greeted them at the balcony of his home.   
  
"Long time no see."  
  
-------------  
  
Thanks to Bulma, Arem opened a shop, "Home-Made Health". She had shelves, bottles, brochures and catalogs of the products that filled her store. All business was done by word-of-mouth. Every large business in the country and world were in a ring of information headed by Capsule Corp, which is partially how Arem's store became so popular. All herbs and medicines had been thoroughly tested in Bulma's lab by Bulma herself and a group of highly paid, highly loyal scientists, after Arem had come up with the finished product. The woman was a genius, second to Bulma of course and with the blue-haired woman's help, Arem's confidence in self worth and esteem boosted.   
  
The lavendar-haired woman wasn't at all familiar with the business world or modern economy so she was given D.A.'s or Droid Aides, who helped her run the store. According to Arem's wishes, all profit from sales would go to her own charity, one put together for the poorer, less fortuante people of the city and soon to be world. It would give her the opportunity to heal people, the kind of people that couldn't afford great health care. She would inspect each case with a clear mind and build it upon facts and observations. So many people were helped because of her generosity and that of Bulma and soon became her employees, wanting to return the favor she had given them. The economy was picking up again and it also shot Capsule Corp up the ladder, ranking them the Largest Internation Company in History. They were recognized for their charity, for the inventions and everything else that was produced there.  
  
Bulma overjoyed for this new project. Even though it was Arem's doing, she felt good, knowing that she was still a part of it and finally using her money to benefit others. Arem was very nervous about using Bulma's hard-earned money but during their many conversations about the job, Bulma finally convinced Arem that it wouldn't hurt her one bit and she'd be able to do what she loved.  
  
"I have too much money to know what to do with it all. I could own this whole country if I wanted to along with every single business, home, and person. That's how rich I am, so it would do me a great favor to finally be able to put this money to good use. You'd be doing me a favor, Arem. You would make me a happy woman."  
  
It was those words that won her over, that gained her trust along with a few other "choice" words. "You've known me long enough to know that I'm not the kind of woman to say things just to make someone happy, if I'm not happy with it myself. Look who I'm married to after all and tell me which one of us has been reformed. You know it's not me. I wouldn't be asking you if you wanted to if I was unsure of it, if I didn't want to do it and if I didn't totally trust you. I have a knack for these types of things, one of the reasons I'm the person in the world." Bulma convinced her by telling her she would be able to travel to other worlds if she wished, accompanied by some of the older saiyans for protection, to look for healing recipies, anything she wanted, plants, secrets...ANYTHING. That was the last thing that was said on the subject besides Arem saying, "Thank you."  
  
-------------  
  
It had been some time before the two newly-bonded saiyans emerged from their one-roomed retreat. They were enjoying the secluded lake that lay on the grounds of his grandfather's land, floating on the cool water and splashing each other every so often. Serena could feel her lover, exploring her body from the inside out and the worst part about it was he wasn't even touching her. When it came to proving her love, she did her best for all those times that she had failed before. She didn't feel totally guilty because she had been very low on energy but now she only had a few people left to bring back and she was getting more excited as the days went on. Soon the "surprise" would be finished and would make her life so much easier and would help her with the re-birthing process.  
  
Goku's hands pulled her close to his body. "You think too loud, tenshi." Serena smiled.  
  
"I'm sorry." He had told her she thought too loud several times that day and each time he had silenced her by giving her something else to think about. She shivered in anticipation. When he didn't make a move in that direction she began to wonder.  
  
"I just wanted to hold you." Her heart melted again. He was her gentle giant and proved it every time they touched. Goku was floating with the help of his ki and so pulling Serena onto his bared body didn't make them sink into the water. "Serena, do you think Ami and Lita would want to help Mirai out? He's to the point where he wants to recreate nature and life for his planet."  
  
Serena thought about it. With all that was going on, she knew they would love the idea, after they got used to it. Ami was all for it but Lita and Mirai hadn't hit it off all that well. Mina was still a part of Serena, which made her give in instantly. "Yeah, I think it would be great. There would be a little hesitation on Lita's part but she loves nature too much to not want to go." Serena was still for a moment before relaxing again in Goku's arms.  
  
Goku could feel some golden powers shining that wasn't his mate's signature. "What is that?" He was referring to the double-mindedness he felt, two women's thoughts going around Serena's head.   
  
She knew exactly what he meant. "That's Mina, she's one of my best friends. She's the Goddess of Love, Senshi of Venus. You might know her as Aphrodite."  
  
"I still don't understand why I feel her energy more now than I have before."  
  
"The reason you feel it stronger now is because she thinks those two will hit it off. In other words, Mina is at her match-making again, through me."  
  
"And that's why you're saying yes?"  
  
"We are never wrong and you'd do well to remember that."  
  
"Oh?" His hungry eyes captured hers before his lips captured hers in a kiss. "So what does Mina think of us?" Serena laughed at him.   
  
"Mina used to tell me that she swore I was part Venusian."  
  
"And why would she say that?" He pulled her tighter against him, resulting in a squeak.  
  
"Because look at me! I did pretty good for myself, don't ya think?" She teasingly smiled and kicked her ki up a few notches, immersing them both in the cool lake water. They spent the rest of the afternoon frolicking and other *enjoyable* activites before they were to return home, back to reality.  
  
They returned later that night just as everyone was around the table, about to eat dinner. Vegeta kindly informed his mate earlier that the couple would be joining them for dinner so she had extra food out for all of them. Lucky for her. Vegeta wore a knowing smile at the dinner table, making Serena blush, Goku smile and Lita and Ami confused. The blushing woman gave her friends an "I'll-talk-to-you-later" look and payed attention to her food for the next little while. After they had all filled themselves, everyone started wandering off in their own directions. Goku tried to cart his woman off in "his own" direction but she pulled away.   
  
"I told you it was me and the girls tonight. That means me..." she said pointing to herself, "and the girls", pointing at the other women in the room. She looked over trying to find help and saw Bulma doing the same thing to her own man.  
  
"You better let go of me, Saiyan, or else you'll find yourself locked in Sam's Square," a nickname she gave to a defense square Sam was capable of putting around any intruder, or her Saiyan in this case. Vegeta growled at her and let her go immediately much to his dismay and quickly retaliated with words of his own.  
  
"Woman, you are going to be punished for this. Watch your back." He smirked and walked out of the room with his ego still in check. Bulma knew exactly what to expect later tonight. There was no way she could prevent bond links. Damned Saiyan.  
  
As soon as the room cleared, Bulma waved everyone to the direction of her lab. She pulled a piece of paper out of her pocked along with a small pen and scribbled a note to Serena.  
  
'Do you know how to block us from the men? Mentally and physically?' Serena read it and winked. She did it by lifting her hand in the air and waving it in a circular motion.   
  
"Alright, lets go." Serena laughed as Bulma poked her finger into it. It felt funny, her finger tingled as it passed through the shiny sphere wall that surrounded them.  
  
"Beautiful job." Bulma led her friends through the lab doors and to a wall covered in wires and holes, almost like a peg board. "Sam, let me in." The computer clicked and buzzed and a few wires moved away from the wall, coming to life as if they were snakes. They slithered in the air towards Bulma and wrapped around her body. They covered her from hip to neck, including her arms and tightened as if becoming her second skin. When Lita moved to pull them away, Bulma told her not to touch it. It was part of the procedure to get in to her secret lab. Sure enough, the metal snakes slid away from their prey and into the holes above them. The wires and holes moved to the side, creating a wall of white and Bulma walked right through it much to everyone's suprise. She turned around but saw that no one was following her so she stuck her arm and face back through.  
  
"Come on, lets go."  
  
-------------  
  
Yes, I know you'll all kill me now or you hate me or some other painful way to die but let me remind you. You like it. *smirks*. I did it in several previous chapters. Um...so I have to tell you all something but I can't quite remember what it was...Oh yeah! I'm transferring to a school in Hawaii so I'll be flying there next monday, the 30th of June, my beloved Usako's birthday. Because of this move, it will take me some time to get myself settled and write any more to this story. I do not make any promises to update this story any sooner than I can but I do make this promise to you. I promise to finish this story before the end of this year. Hopefull at the one year mark which is November I think. I'm planning about 8 more chapters, hopefully being able to stop at 40 chapters. A lot huh? Yeah, I think so too. That will probably be about 150,000 words. Sickening to think about actually.  
  
Well, that's what I wanted to tell you all. Thank you for being patient with me. To look on the bright side, this chapter did come out a lot faster than the last one did huh?   
  
Thanks for your support and reviews.  
  
Echo Huntress 


	33. The Lockdown

You guys wouldn't believe how sorry I am for taking so long. For those of you who will accept 3 month's worth of excuses, here's a list of reasons why it has taken me so long to write this chapter.  
  
-My computer at home-the mouse port fried, so no more mouse.  
  
-I had to navigate using the keyboard and that was hell in itself.  
  
-I moved to Hawaii for school. Poor me, right?  
  
-the place I was staying at for the summer, I was only able to get online a few times without wanting to kill the computer. It was hot, humid, and it was a phone-connection. That's all that needs to be said.  
  
-That computer that I was using there broke.  
  
-I moved to a different island.  
  
-I didn't have time nor time to write.  
  
-I'm already a week and a half into school and my apartment/flat isn't even done yet!  
  
-I have no shower.  
  
-I have no computer at home.  
  
-Not even a working tv  
  
-Nor a phone  
  
-and I don't know my way around campus.  
  
Once again I apologize and might even kiss your feet. Luckily I only know one of you personally and you're thousands of miles away so I won't have that option. I'm really, really, really sorry and hope you enjoy this one. I promise on my fingers that I'll have this story finished at the one-year mark.  
  
**I would like to thank FairDrea for kicking my butt and helping me along with this as well as several other reviewers. I love you guys**  
  
So, here we are...Chapter 33  
  
Echo  
  
-------------  
  
LAST TIME  
  
"Beautiful job." Bulma led her friends through the lab doors and to a wall covered in wires and holes, almost like a peg board. "Sam, let me in." The computer clicked and buzzed and a few wires moved away from the wall, coming to life as if they were snakes. They slithered in the air towards Bulma and wrapped around her body. They covered her from hip to neck, including her arms and tightened as if becoming her second skin. When Lita moved to pull them away, Bulma told her not to touch it. It was part of the procedure to get in to her secret lab. Sure enough, the metal snakes slid away from their prey and into the holes above them. The wires and holes moved to the side, creating a wall of white and Bulma walked right through it much to everyone's surprise. She turned around but saw that no one was following her so she stuck her arm and face back through.  
  
"Come on, lets go."  
  
-------------  
  
CHAPTER 33: THERE IS NO END TO TRIALS  
  
Ami had never seen anything more beautiful in all her life. There were screens covering almost every square inch of the room, it looked like a hybrid of a laboratory and an electronics store. Lights flickered, computers beeped and colors flashed from every angle. To her amazement, there were even two computers holding a conversation of their very own.  
  
"I think I've finally made it to heaven." Serena chuckled as she pictured Ami drooling over the machines in the room.  
  
"Something close enough to it. This is my intelligence lab. Very high tech and very top secret. Not even my dear husband knows about this. You three are the very first people to see this place so welcome to my secret lab!" There were trinkets floating above metal plates and platforms and some solids were changing shape and color right in front of their eyes. There was even a solid block that started changing into the shape of the person standing in front of it.   
  
"Impressive, Lita. I like you better though because you have more color." Bulma flashed a smile and waved them towards her.  
  
"Is there a reason you're letting us know about this place and haven't even told Vegeta yet?" Serena looked on, waiting to be amused by her answer. She didn't like the serious look on her sister-in-law's face.  
  
"Yes, there is. You see, Carma over there?" Bulma pointed to the largest panel screen on the far wall. "She is my space intel. She tells me when she senses things coming near to earth and so far she has been unable to recognize it. Why don't you explain, Carma."  
  
There was no way computers could talk or even think on their own. That was ridiculous, but then so was flying when Lita first got here and so was falling in love as Ami had thought previous to meeting Gohan.  
  
"Sure. Well you see, there is some large light source heading in our direction and is coming very fast. It's finding its way through the neighboring galaxy if my calculations are correct, which they are ninety-nine point nine percent of the time, and is heading for your wonderful planet."  
  
Bulma wore no smile now and that's what frightened Serena the most. "Do you know what it is? Or can you give us any clue?"  
  
"No," Carma replied, "but I will tell you this. Whatever it is, it hasn't destroyed anything in its path so it might just be a traveling ambassador. I've never seen anything like it before." Serena knew deep down inside that it probably wasn't an ambassador like Carma had guessed. All creatures that came from far away were always after her and her keepsake.  
  
The more she thought about it though, the more uneasy she became. "Bulma?" The blue-haired woman knew exactly what she was asking.   
  
"Carma, do you know how long it'll take to get here?" Bulma watched a series of numbers and lines flash across the screen. The computerized voice spoke again. "It seems to be taking its time in the galaxy. We all know light travels fast but it's actually slowed down quite a bit, as if it's waiting for something."  
  
Serena didn't like hearing that one bit.  
  
---------------  
  
It was late in the afternoon, almost dinner time when Serena informed Lita and Ami about Goku's suggestion and they both wanted to go as soon as possible.  
  
"My my my...aren't we anxious? You guys haven't seen your boyfriends in a long time, have you?" Lita shook her fist and Ami blushed.  
  
"Yes, that's one good reason but another is that as much as I love it, I really need to get out and do something. You know me, Serena. I can't stay in one place too long. Plus, I really need to apologize to Mirai. I bit him pretty hard." Lita was still feeling guilty about that? What a rare occassion. She must really like him.  
  
"And you, Ami?"  
  
Ami looked too shocked to say anything. "I think it would be nice if we went to help them out. After all, we do need to widen our circle of friends and maybe they can train us while we're there. I would like to learn how to better my defense and attacks."  
  
"You, always the logical one. They're nothing but a bunch of excuses!" Ami's blush deepened and Serena laughed hard. "I know you want him, it might as well be tattooed on your forehead. Go get him, Ames. You're just what he needs in his life. You too, Lita, although you might not want to admit it." Serena looked at her two friends. They had changed so much, even in the little time they'd been with her again.  
  
"Just remember that if something happens and they tell you to do something, just listen to them. Don't try to be macho and don't try to outsmart them. They're only trying to protect you. I know they might be a little hard to get along with but they have their reasons, just like my brother and my mate."  
  
With a nod and nothing more, the three stood up and walked outside. They needed some exercise and were going to get some by walking to Arem's store, to check on her.   
  
---------------  
  
Goku and Vegeta were sitting under a large oak tree, cooling off after their mid-morning work out. In the distance, their sons were flying towards them. There have never been two prouder fathers than them and they weren't afraid to show it. They just thought that they shouldn't let the boys get too cocky about their strength.  
  
"What is it?" Vegeta demanded with his usual scowl. There was no real strength behind his threats anymore.  
  
"You guys might want to come to Kami's lookout. We've just found out some interesting information." Mirai pushed his lavendar locks out of his face. He was his father'son with his mother's hair. What a blessing.  
  
"Why? Is something going on that we need to know about?"  
  
"Yeah, Dende senses something's coming."  
  
"What now? Why can't we ever have peace?" Even though it sounded like a complaint, all four men were excited to know they'd be keeping busy again. They'd be able to get back to training, something they had all missed. All had grown up fighting and to go as long as they had, it was no wonder they were all moping about.  
  
"It's about time. I was wondering if we'd have to start going back into space to look for these idiots." Vegeta was the first in the air and soon everyone fell in line and flew to Kami's lookout.  
  
"Welcome. It's been a long time." Dende was nearly the size of Piccolo, without the bulging muscles or the scowl. His outstretched hand was grabbed by Goku and shaken vigorously. Vegeta surprised him by shaking his hand as well. He surprised everyone in fact.  
  
"You're killing me with that stupid smile, Kakkarot."  
  
"See, Vegeta? Being friendly isn't bad." The scowl on the Prince's face was very real and if he were given just a little more time...  
  
Dende tried to prevent a battle at his home. "The reason I wanted you all to be here was to inform you that something is coming."  
  
"Do you know what it is?" Goku had a strange, almost hopeful look on his face. Sometimes Dende wondered about him and him being hit on the head one too many times when he was a kid.  
  
"No."  
  
"Where did it come from?" Vegeta growled.  
  
"I don't know that either."   
  
The spiky-haired Saiyan yelled. "Then why the hell did you call us up here if you can't tell us who it is, when or where it is or if its even coming here!"  
  
It was at times like this Dende knew why Piccolo hadn't gotten along with the little man very well. "All I know is that there is a very strong light source heading our way. It feels like its of the old...magic, if I can say such a thing. I know I haven't been here for very long, but this source of light feels ancient."   
  
Mirai and Gohan were standing quietly, thinking of what could possibly be coming their way. It was ancient Dende said. That didn't tell them much. Of course, there was always one sure way the could find out what it was.  
  
"If that's all then, Gohan and I have to get going. We have things to do."  
  
Vegeta, still favoring his old habits said, "Why do you still hang around the Idiot's brat?"  
  
Mirai, unphased and quite used to his father's funny ways, replied, "Maybe for the same reason you hang out with his father." With that, the two younger males free-fell off the side of Kami's lookout.  
  
"Those two are up to something." Corin commented.  
  
"Hey, when did you get up here?"  
  
"I came to see what all the commotion was about. Oh, and Vegeta. I have no more senzu beans so don't get too banged up."  
  
"You what?" The wind was starting to pick up. "What do you mean you don't have anymore senzu beans? How? Why? I demand an answer."  
  
Corin, being the patient feline that he was, answered, "It's quite simple. The bush the beans grow on has died." The cat could feel in his whiskers the energy snapping in the air. "It's nothing I did. It just happens when the plant reaches a certain age. It gets old and dies but the new ones will sprout again within the year."  
  
"I don't think this light source is going to wait for your senzu bushes to grow again, Corin." Goku didn't care either way. He'd heal, as long as he didn't die first.  
  
"I don't think so either, so be careful when you guys are out there, Goku. We don't know anything about it or even that it's coming to earth for that matter."  
  
Vegeta secretly hoped it was coming to earth. It had been a while since they had had some excitement and it wouldn't hurt to wrestle with the bad guys again. Of course, it had been close calls every time so maybe hoping for this thing to come wasn't such a good idea.   
  
"Thanks for warning us, Dende. We'll keep a watch out for it I guess. Oh, if you see Piccolo, tell him to come by and visit. I haven't seen him in a long time."  
  
Dende smiled. "Piccolo went to visit a friend. He'll be back some time this month."  
  
"That cucumber has friends?" Vegeta was impatiently standing off to the side. His hands were crossed over his chest, his usual "I'm better than thou" pose. It was another thing that everyone had grown used to.  
  
"Well, thanks. We better get going. It's lunch and you know how I can't go without eating my meals."  
  
Corin smiled and rubbed his whiskers. "Yes, we all know how you need to eat your eight meals a day."  
  
"That's right. Eight meals a day keeps the hunger away!"  
  
"You really are an idiot," the prince huffed. "I broke him of that ridiculous habit. He eats only four regular meals a day unless we're under rigorous training." The other three just laughed and Goku waved goodbye.   
  
"We'll see you guys later. Keep us informed if anything happens, alright?"  
  
"Alright. We'll send word down if the entity moves again."  
  
Goku dove off the lookout and fell straight through the clouds and down to earth after seeing the boys do it. He had never fallen on purpose before so it was a new experience. He almost had to put a bit of effort to stop before he ran into the ground.  
  
Vegeta flew towards home. He didn't want to be bothered by Kakkarot so left him behind. Let him have his fun, he knows where home is. That's what he was telling himself, along with the fact that Corin had run out of senzu beans. He wasn't addicted to them, but it sure made healing happen a lot faster. Now he had to do it the old fashioned way and wait. With the injuries they would be sustaining at such high levels, he might have to wait a week till he was able to move again. Waiting did not make him a happy person. Speaking of which, at that moment, he remembered something. He could just teleport.  
  
---------------  
  
"Someone's not in a good mood," came a sing song voice. Mrs. Briefs shuffled through the living room vacuuming invisible pieces of lint on the sofas. Vegeta had teleported right to the front door of Capsule Corp and walked in.  
  
Bulma had just walked out of her lab with the other women following behind her. She noticed his fuming state and thought it might help to give him a distraction. "Vegeta! Where are your sons?" At first he was confused. When did he have a second son? And then it hit him that it was the same son.  
  
"I have no idea, woman. They do whatever they like. I'm not a babysitter."  
  
"Thank Kami or else we would have you arrested for negligence."  
  
"As if your puny law enforcement could restrain me."  
  
"Yes," she said innocently before moving in for the kill. "But maybe you'll need to restrain yourself in a little bit."  
  
"What are you talking about woman?"  
  
Bulma strolled up to her mate, not once losing eye contact. Of course it wasn't hard with him staring straight at her, wondering what chemicals she could have inhaled this morning. "I'm hungry, Vegeta. I need to eat something. I'm craving meat, your meat to be exact." She swept her eyes over his virile body and didn't bother hiding her appreciative smile.  
  
Vegeta growled at her before grabbing her arm. "You stupid humans and your bad timing."  
  
---------------  
  
"Something's wrong," Mirai told his traveling companion.  
  
"I hope this isn't our future." Gohan replied. Something looked familiar about this place but he couldn't place his finger as to why. It was dark. A feeling of solitude hung in the air, as if they were the only two people who existed in this forsaken place.  
  
Mirai was fiddling with the instrument panel but nothing seemed to be working. And in just a few seconds, all lights in the machine turned off. They were surrounded in silence and didn't like it one bit.  
  
"Where did you take us, Briefs?"  
  
"To Disneyland. Why? Where did you think we were going?"  
  
"Sorry I asked. Let's just see if we can find anything now that we're here, but maybe we should stick together. I don't have a good feeling about this place."  
  
"That's probably a good idea." The two left the security of the time machine and hovered in the air, illuminating the area around them with the glow of Super Saiyan two. It didn't help any because of the darkness that attempted to swallow them. There was no floor, no ceiling and no walls. It was as if they were in space minus the stars and planets.  
  
After what seemed like hours, Mirai was ready to give up. In fact, he was pretty sure that they wouldn't even be able to find their way back to the time machine, not that it would do any good. For some reason they had lost all power to the ship. Lucky for them, Mirai had capsules in his jacket pocket. "Never leave home without them" his mother would always tell him and they had come in handy many times over. There was enough food and other things to last them at least a year, if they learned to ration.  
  
Gohan shot out a few balls of energy in four directions.  
  
"What are you doing?"  
  
"I'm sending distress signals. What does it look like?" He sent more out, up, down, side to side. In every direction he could possibly turn himself, he shot out energy balls.  
  
"I do not appreciate being shot at." Their heads turned so quickly, any normal person could have gotten whiplash. One of them nearly peed his pants.  
  
"Trista, what are you doing here? And wearing that?" Mirai had never seen his mother's friend dressed in a mini-skirt and sailor's outfit before. And where did that staff come from?  
  
"I am here because you tried to travel to the future. Circumstances being what they are, we are in lock down mode and all time traveling has been restricted." That still didn't explain why she was here and he let her know it. "I am the keeper of the gates of time. Your mother never told you because it wasn't necessary to your immediate health and she was instructed not to tell anyone."  
  
"Wait, so why are the gates locked down?"  
  
"I cannot tell you. If I were to do that, I might as well let you into the future like you wanted to. I must tell you that you are restricted from time travel until the trial has passed. That means you must stay either in your present or Gohan's present, but once you choose, you must stay there until it is safe to travel again."  
  
"I'll stay in Gohan's present." Trista was glad to know that Mirai wouldn't be putting up a fight about this since it was his nature to fight everything he didn't agree with.  
  
"I'm glad you're being agreeable. That makes my job easier."  
  
"I'm still in shock that you're the keeper of the gates. Not that I'm saying you can't do it. It's just that I've never been told this and...eh. Who cares. Can you direct us back to my time machine so we can go back?"  
  
"I'm sorry but I'm going to have to confiscate it. I've already taken the other capsules from your time and now I have the last one. For safety precautions, of course."  
  
To say Mirai was furious was a great understatement. He couldn't hate anyone more than he hated his mother's friend right now. How dare he take something away that was *his*. His mother made it for him so he could protect the world. This woman's friend!  
  
"If you trust me this one time, something greater will be given to you in return..." He didn't want to hear it. Gohan was angry to hear that he couldn't get home. But then this woman didn't say that they wouldn't be going home. She asked them which time they wanted to reside in.  
  
"Mirai, I think..."  
  
He didn't give him any more time to think though. "I think this woman should just give me back my mother's gift and let us go home. Why should we trust anything she says? Look at her, wearing that skimpy skirt, supposedly protecting us all from the time gates. She's nothing but..."  
  
"Your mother's friend," she interrupted, "who TOLD me to take it away from you. She knows the situation and was the one to suggest that I remove all possible ways of time travel for the safety of this universe. So if you don't trust me AND your mother, you will be the death of us all."  
  
Wait, when did his mother have anything to do with this. "What do you mean my mother's the one who told you?"  
  
"It doesn't matter. You're going back now and I don't want to hear anything else." He thought he heard her mumble something like, "just like his father was at that age," but he couldn't be sure.   
  
Suddenly he was falling and he could hear Gohan yelling next to him.  
  
---------------  
  
"Lita, why are you so angry all of a sudden?" The said brunette was ripping weeds out with a fury and had torn out some of the fruiting plants as well.  
  
"I don't know why the hell I'm so angry. You weren't doing anything! I wasn't doing anything!" Where did this burst of heat come from? Lita fell to the ground and Ami, right next to her.  
  
"What in the world?"  
  
"Aaaahh."  
  
Thud.  
  
"Oh Kami! It feels like a sperm whale just fell on me." Lita attempted to rub her sore head but her arms were stuck. With the small movement came a groan.  
  
"I resent that comment."  
  
"Aaahhh."  
  
"Shut up! You're breaking my ear drums!"  
  
The complaint, "I hate gravity" came from a nearby body. Gohan opened his eyes and found himself lying on a pile of woman with beautiful ocean blue hair and similar colored eyes.  
  
"I dunno, it can prove to be handy sometimes." Ami opened her eyes to see a disheveled Gohan, a rather handsome Gohan lying above her and felt herself blush under him. She had dreamed about such things before, but definitely not because he had fallen on her. And he wasn't squashing her to death either.  
  
"What do you guys think you're doing-falling out of the sky like that? Don't you have any control?" Lita was doing her best to push Mirai off but at the moment, he didn't want to be pushed anywhere.  
  
"As a matter of fact, we were dropped out of who knows where by a woman I could quickly despise. So no, we didn't have control when we didn't know where we were going to land."  
  
Not only was he squishing her but he wasn't making any sense and wasn't moving off either. "What are you talking about? What woman?"  
  
"That witch at the time gates!"  
  
"Pluto?"  
  
Ami decided she better start talking to calm everyone down. "Why is she suddenly a witch?"  
  
"Because I'm trying to be nice." Lita punched him and rolled out from under him.   
  
"Because she took away his time machine and told him he or we couldn't travel any more. Something about a lock down and time travel being restricted." Gohan lifted himself off of the blue-haired one.  
  
"Ami." Lita was looking at her for an answer. More than likely, this was no coincidence.  
  
"And did you do anything to provoke her to send you in such a displeasing fashion?"  
  
"No." Lita raised her brow at that one.  
  
"He yelled at her." Mirai looked over at his so-called friend who was helping Ami up from the ground.  
  
"Jeez. You're an idiot." Lita dusted herself off while she showed how "displeased" she was with him. "You'd think that one would inherit their parent's IQ, but apparently not."  
  
"And what's that supposed to mean?" Ami flashed a nervous smile at Gohan and pointed to the house. He nodded and quietly tried to escape the fighting lovers.  
  
"It means any person with a single brain cell would know that you don't pick fights with the Senshi of time. I'm just glad she sent you guys back here instead of some spaceless somewhere. You know, the first rule of holes is when you're in one, stop digging. You don't mess with the Keeper of Time because all she does is remember things like how rude you were to her. After all, its not like she has anything better to do. Its probably a good thing she took away your machine. The next time you would have tried to go somewhere, she could have sent you somewhere else, as a baby. Or worse. She could have turned you into an old man." The mental picture that idea created was too funny for her not to laugh. In fact, she started imitating an old man walking with an invisible cane, walking through her garden.   
  
"That's it!" Mirai went after her and caught her with no problem. Instead of keeping her on the ground, where she would have an advantage, he lifted her up two hundred feet into the air.  
  
"You're glad she sent me here?" he said repeating her words. Dare he get his hopes up?  
  
"Put me down!" With a wicked smile he said, "Okay," and let her go. He had every intention of catching her and was just about to dive after her when she disappeared.   
  
---------------  
  
Lita landed with a thud on some very hard clouds. She didn't feel any pain though, and because of that she opened her eyes slowly. Great! Now where was she?  
  
"Hi Lita." Trista stepped forward, lighting the darkness with the Staff of Time.  
  
"Trista! How goes it?"  
  
"It goes." Lita was pulled to her feet and out of sheer habit began dusting herself off.   
  
"So thank you for saving me from that arrogant jerk." Trista knew she liked him and took a small peek ahead of time just to see for herself what she already knew.  
  
"You're welcome, but that's not the reason you're here." Lita already knew that. Pluto had never played around with her powers. "I need you to relay a message for me. Before you ask, the reason I didn't bring Ami was because she was busy at the moment and she would ask too many questions. I'm hoping that I was wise in my choice." Lita just nodded her head and said, "I'm ready when you are".  
  
"Something is heading towards your planet and present dimension. Tell Serena that she needs to prepare herself and she needs to study her powers on both sides of her blood. One of the girls will be coming out soon and she'll need help with that because her strength will be drained with this one and the next ones."  
  
"Oh, that's all." Trista knew that Lita's sarcasm was hiding her fear. It was the same for Raye and Darien at times - to hid behind sarcasm. As if it would protect them.  
  
"Yeah, that's about it. Don't tell anyone but her. It will be up to her discretion to tell who she will. Thank you Lita. If I could leave the gates and tell her myeslf, I would but now would be the worst time to leave them unattended."  
  
"Will do. It's been fun Trista. As soon as this is over, we'll have to see about getting you some vacation time."  
  
Trista chuckled. "That would be refreshing. How about you tell Serena that too?" Lita smiled and nodded her head. "Where would you like to be dropped off?" With a wave of the staff, a mirror appeared out of no where, showing Mirai who looked like he was about to pull his hair out. He was sitting right where Lita would have landed if she hadn't been whisked away.  
  
"What's wrong with him?" Her arms folded across her chest reminded her of the man sitting on a large boulder.   
  
"He went down to look for you and hasn't found you yet. You know, from what I've gathered, the two of you are perfect for each other."  
  
"Oh you think so?"  
  
"Yes. I know so."  
  
"What?" Lita had a sneaky suspicion that Trista wasn't telling her half of what she knew. "He's cocky, he's arrogant and thinks he's God's gift to women."  
  
"And you know you like it." She knew it would be better to bring Lita here. Lita could provide the kind of entertainment she missed.  
  
"Why you jerk!"  
  
"Excuse you?" Pluto's dark green eyebrow raised and so did her staff in hand.   
  
"No, Trista. Please don't do anything rash. You asked for it..."  
  
"Oh, you'll be asking for more when I'm done with you!" With a wave, Lita was gone and a smile appeared on the solitary soldier's face. "You're welcome."  
  
Lita fell from darkness and into a warm light. Her screams echoed throughout the sky and for some reason she couldn't remember she knew how to fly. She fell into something and after she stopped falling, realized it was a someone.  
  
"I'm beginning to wonder if you do like me after all." The smile, the gorgeous and irresistable smile made her insides hungry.   
  
"Shut up and put me down."  
  
"No." Lita looked at him incredously.   
  
"What do you mean no?" he just shook his head at her.  
  
"The last time I let you go, you disappeared. I'm not stupid enough to make that mistake again."   
  
"Whatever." Lita, feeling a bit old to be carried like a baby, silently enjoyed holding onto him while he carried her back to the mansion that was his home.   
  
---------------  
  
"That's all she said." Lita had given Serena the message in the privacy of her own room. She knew they were safe from wandering and sensitive ears.  
  
Serena sat down, feeling a bit tired. She was tired in fact, tired of all these enemies. This one had traveled farther than the rest of the rivals she'd faced in the past. And what was more tiresome was the news that she was supposed to study her powers on both sides. That meant the person coming new physical as well as magical attacks. At least she was given that, but it didn't make her feel any better. It made her feel a little worse if anything.  
  
"Are you okay?" Lita leaned in to get a better look at her friend. She was swaying back and forth, it looked like she was about to tip over.  
  
"I don't know. I feel dizzy. I think I'm going to go downstairs to get some fresh air." She stood up and wobbled a bit.   
  
"Maybe I better help you downstairs."  
  
"I'm fine."  
  
"I don't want you to..."  
  
"I said I'm fine!" Serena snapped and as soon as she did, she reeled back in horror. "I'm so sorry, Lita. I didn't mean that." The look of shock on Lita's face made her cry instantly. "I don't know what's going on. I've been snapping at everyone, Goku's mad at me, Bulma, well Bulma's still the same towards me but she's telling me that I've been getting really annoying lately. I don't know what's going on."   
  
Lita pulled Serena in for a hug. "It's probably all this stress that's causing you to get a little touchy."  
  
The crying blonde shook her head. "No, it's not that. I'd just be worried but now I'm getting mad at every little thing. It's like something's taking over me, Lita." Lita didn't know what to say or do except hold Serena more.  
  
"Don't worry. We'll figure it out. Maybe Ami can do a reading or something." Serena sniffled back her tears.  
  
"Maybe then."  
  
Just after Lita got her to calm down, she found Ami and told her Serena needed to be scanned.  
  
"I don't know. I just think she needs to be looked over."  
  
Ami did just that, pulling out her scanner. "Well, your stats look fine. I don't see anything wrong. The energies that are in you are charged so maybe that's why you've been shooting off a little lightning every now and then. I'll check up on you next week again unless you feel worse later on."  
  
"Thanks Ames."  
  
It had been a week and Serena had progressively been getting worse. She felt so thirsty and was always so short-tempered that she didn't want to see anyone anymore, in fear of hurting their feelings.   
  
Goku walked up to the room and approached the occupied bed slowly. Serena heard him coming and turned to see a heart-melting smile directed at her.   
  
"I thought you might want to go for a swim today, to cool off a bit. It's going to be hot."  
  
"That sounds like a great idea." Goku lifted her from the king-sized bed and disappeared with her to a beach.  
  
"Where are we?" Serena looked around. They were on a small island and all she could see was water, every where she looked. Behind her was a small pink house with the words "Kame House".  
  
"This is my old sensei's house. He's on vacation so I thought we might come and borrow it for a bit." He quickly stripped himself of his clothes and did away with Serena's too and in a few seconds they were in the ocean, enjoying the small waves that washed against them.  
  
"You seemed to be under a lot of stress lately. Is there something I can do?" Serena was leaning against his chest and only imagined what he must be thinking.  
  
"No. I don't know what it is. You see me. I'm always sweating, always thirsty and I've been blanking out more and more. I really don't know what's wrong. Sometimes when I dream I see things and wonder if its the future. I have no clue."  
  
Goku thought for a few minutes where silence reigned. He was lazily stroking his hand over his mate's belly. "You know. I've been feeling the same way too. Sympathy pains I guess you could call them. I'm sweating when I'm not sparring and even at night with the air conditioning I get so hot I can't stand it. That's why I haven't been able to hold you unless we were in cool water. It's ridiculous."  
  
"I wish I could figure out what was wrong with me." Goku just tightened his strong arms around her, trying to offer the best comfort he could. "Did you tell me that there were more girls in you? Was there one that was always hot-tempered that maybe saw visions?"  
  
Serena jerked from his grip. She quickly turned and kissed her man thoroughly, nearly sqeezing the life out of him in the process.  
  
"Not that I'm complaining or anything, but what was that for?" Serena looked the happiest she had in weeks.   
  
"You are the most ingenius person in the world! Goku, it's Raye! She was the Senshi of Fire, the Priestess I told you about."  
  
"The one that always used to make fun of you and yell at you?"  
  
"Yeah, that one."  
  
"You think she's next?"  
  
Serena would be jumping up and down if she weren't in the water. She made up for it by holding onto Goku's shoulders and bouncing herself up and down in the water with excitement, unaware that she was causing a different kind of excitement in the man she was holding onto.  
  
The rest of the day was spent celebrating in a way that only they could. As they lay on the beach and looked up at the stars, Serena told Goku about what was told to her nearly a week ago about the new challenge coming their way.  
  
"How come you didn't tell me earlier?" There was no anger in his voice. Just curiosity.   
  
"I'm sorry. I tried not to talk as much as possible for the last week because of that stupid temper of Raye's. I didn't want to hurt anyone else's feelings with my or her impatience."  
  
"So now you're thinking that this person or thing knows physical as well as magical attacks?"  
  
"Yes," she admitted sadly. "I don't know what to do either. Trista said I should study both forms of fighting but I don't know how to study them."  
  
"The best way to study is to do. Vegeta's been itching for a good match and probably wouldn't mind going against you."  
  
She shook her head again. "I don't think Vegeta would want to fight me, the person he's supposed to be protecting."  
  
"Well, you won't know till you ask will you?"  
  
"Do I want to fight him though? What if I win, though? I don't know that he'd be able to handle that."  
  
Goku nodded understandingly. "Maybe if that time comes, you should beat him as a Lunarian instead of as a Saiyan." Serena leaned over and kissed her mate.  
  
"I knew you were good for something."  
  
--------------- 


	34. The Bonfire

Sorry this chapter is short but I thought I better get it out as soon as possible! Have fun reading and please send comments!  
  
Echo  
  
---------------  
  
LAST TIME  
  
"The best way to study is to do. Vegeta's been itching for a good match and probably wouldn't mind going against you."  
  
She shook her head again. "I don't think Vegeta would want to fight me, the person he's supposed to be protecting."  
  
"Well, you won't know till you ask will you?"  
  
"Do I want to fight him though? What if I win? I don't know that he'd be able to handle that."  
  
Goku nodded understandingly. "Maybe if that time comes, you should beat him as a Lunarian instead of as a Saiyan." Serena leaned over and kissed her mate.  
  
"I knew you were good for something."  
  
---------------  
  
CHAPTER 34  
  
Just as she began wondering what Darien had been up to, Serena ran right into him on her way to see Arem.  
  
"Hey Meatball Head. After all these years, you're still trying to kill me." She laughed and gave him a squeeze.  
  
"I haven't seen you in forever. Where have you been?" The Darien she was looking at was a much happier person. When he was first brought back, major depression had settled on him as he found himself utterly useless to the team of Super Saiyans. He wasn't strong enough to fight even the little boys and magic meant next to nothing here. Only energy.  
  
"Bulma knew what a hard time I was having here so she set me up as head surgeon of pediatrics at the Capsule Corp Hospital in town. It's so nice to have something other to do than wait." She knew what he was talking about. Mina. He missed her to the point of pain. His soul mate was gone and he was lost without her.  
  
"Glad to hear it. How are the new toys? Have you learned how to use them yet?" She was referring to the different surgical tools that were native to this dimension.  
  
"I haven't learned all of them but Bulma has a great simulation program and it makes learning much faster."  
  
The pain behind his eyes and in his heart were still visible to her but much more bearable. It wouldn't be too much longer till he could be reunited.  
  
"Come. We were just about to sit down for dinner." She led him back to the main house where everyone was outside, waiting for the Almighty Prince of Saiyans to finish cooking the steaks.   
  
"You know, father. For the fastest man in the world, you sure are a slow cook." Trunks frowned as he lay his head on the picnic table. Bulma laughed, Goten snickered and Goku just sat and smiled.  
  
"You cannot rush perfection, son." After he said it, Vegeta realized that saying could be used towards antyhing. The group saw them coming and waved. Goku didn't wave or smile however. A wave of possession swept over him. Serena scolded him mentally.  
  
'You better calm down. I just met him outside the door and didn't know he was coming.' She could still sense her mate's stiffness and dislike towards her oldest friend. Why was she explaining herself? Shouldn't he trust her enough to know she would never cheat on him? Suddenly she didn't feel like talking to him at all, physically or mentally and blocked him. His eyes burned her back as she walked away from him.  
  
For some reason she couldn't let it go and the more she tried not to think about it, the angrier she became. Darien kept sneaking looks over her shoulder as they carried on their own conversation near the house.  
  
"Goku keeps looking over at us. I don't think he likes me very much." Darien knew Serena was getting angry and stared wide-eyed as her eyes flashed from blue to black.  
  
Serena turned her head to see her husband glaring openly at them both. "That jerk doesn't know when to give up, does he? What does he think I'm going to do? Cheat on him? Is he kidding me? And what kind of trust is this anyway? Obviously there is none and I don't know why I fell for him anyway! If I knew he was going to be this pig-headed and selfish, he can just forget it!" She felt her mate trying to get into her mind, trying to sneak his way in there but she knew how to block him out. How she knew was an entirely different story. She didn't know what she was doing anymore.  
  
"If anyone should go to hell, it should be you, Kakkarot!" Everyone stopped mid-sentence as Serena turned around and pointed to her mate who was shocked to silence. For the moment anyway.  
  
"What the hell are you going on about, woman?" Vegeta was actually enjoying himself, not that he didnt' enjoy seeing some good spousal "disagreements" every once in a while.  
  
Serena ingored her brother. Darien backed quietly away from the girl who's eyes were now a solid black. Her hair grew darker, strand by strand he could see blonde ones turning black as if they had been burned.  
  
"I should go to hell? How about your friend over there? The coward?" Goku had never seen his mate this angry before, which was part of the reason his own anger was getting out of control. She didn't dare try to block him out of her mind now.  
  
"Darien isn't a coward, you bastard! He's my best friend, who happened to take care of me when you weren't in the picture." More of her hair turned black and everyone, including Goku, noticed the sudden change. Goku didn't like where this was going and Darien knew exactly where it was going. This could only be happening because of one person.  
  
"He's one of the only people I had to trust, the only male I had to trust as I grew up for the second time! The only MAN I had to draw strength from when I was in my world. Does that not account for something, Kakkarot?" She said his name with a sound of hate he didn't know she was capable of.  
  
"Serena-"  
  
She looked more like a saiyan than ever with her new black hair. Goku didn't know who this woman was that was standing before him. His mate had silver hair and sky blue eyes but this woman had ebony black hair and had eyes like a black fire.  
  
Goku felt like his insides were being burned. A blazing inferno ran through his veins and he screamed aloud, forgetting he had an audience but not being able to care enough to silence himself. Never in his life had he experienced such horrible physical pain. Being beaten to a bloody pulp and having every bone in his body broken was nothing compared to being roasted alive.  
  
"He took care of me when I was sick. He protected me in battles, he took care of me and the girls when we had no one to turn to. Don't you think he deserves more respect than you're giving him? If he didn't exist I wouldn't exist. Can you understand that, mate? If you love me as much as you claim you do, you should be on your knees thanking him for being our protector."  
  
Goku's screams could be heard miles away. He was going to die and fell to his knees as he gasped for air. It was burning his lungs. He could hear someone yelling something about a ray but didn't care what it was about. He had to force the pain down. He had to reason with Serena.  
  
When he opened his eyes, he couldn't find his mate anywhere. Only the woman in black, the woman who was black. A black flame.  
  
"Raye! Calm down or you're going to kill Serena's husband!" It was Ami's voice from across the table. "Lita! Do something."  
  
"Aww, shit." Serena's temper had been high enough that it finally brought Raye from her dormant stage inside Serena. Lita didn't like this situation at all because of what that fiery priestess was capable of.  
  
"JUPITER-"  
  
"MERCURY-"  
  
"THUNDER-"  
  
"AQUA-"  
  
"DRAGON!"  
  
"INFUSION!"  
  
The sky darkened without warning and lightning flew from the ground and into the air above it's master. Small droplets of moisture rose from the planet and fell from the sky to meet the lightning. It quickly formed Lita's lightning dragon surrounded by a blue liquid flame. The dragon came to life when the two elements fused together and it flew from the sky towards its target.   
  
"I'm sorry, Serena."  
  
"I'm sorry, Raye."   
  
The girl's resolve hardened when Goku screamed louder. The dragon roared like thunder as it swooped and swallowed Raye in its lightning jaws. It disappeared into the earth leaving behind an exhausted and unconscious Raye, and the lingering smell of burnt clothes.  
  
Ami ran straight to Goku whom she thought needed her immediate attention since he was still conscious. She pushed her long blue hair aside and placed her hands on his chest and back. Concentrating as quickly as she could, she pushed a coolant of energy into his body, soothing whatever damage Raye had caused.  
  
How was Raye even that powerful? Wasn't she supposed to be dormant while Serena was still running around. Something wasn't right. Ami was shocked when she found Raye lying where she expected Serena's body to be. They hadn't seperated and for some reason, Serena wasn't here.  
  
Goten and Trunks kept yelling "she's possessed" and Bulma kept yelling at them to shut up and help her. Goku was in too much pain to help anyone including himself, which left Vegeta. He kept staring at her, trying to remember why she looked familiar.  
  
"She's Sailor Mars." Lita enlightened him when she caught one of his funny looks.  
  
"No wonder that brat seems famliar. She's just as hot-headed as my mate and was always trying to get my attention on the moon." He grumbled and placed her on one of the beds in the Care Center.  
  
"I don't recall you ever mentioning her, Vegeta." Bulma felt her hackles rise from jealousy.  
  
"It's because she wasn't worth mentioning. I had already chosen the woman I wanted." Bulma nearly melted from the heat of the gaze her mate gaver her.  
  
"Oh."  
  
After two hours of testing, Goku was better for the most part, and Serena? It looked as if she and Raye had traded places.  
  
"How am I supposed to get Serena back?" Goku was pacing the floor, gnashing his teeth together in agitation. He couldn't live with that hellion who lay on the medical bed. That wasn't his mate. That woman on the bed wasn't the same woman he bonded with, except it was. He could see the bite mark on her neck. Her facial features were the same except for the dark hair and eyes.  
  
---------------  
  
Serena awoke to a white room and looked around. She should be in C4, in the med wing but she didn't recognize her surroundings. Someone was behind her and she turned quickly, but not fast enough. The person was gone. She had an eerie feeling that she was being watched.  
  
"Serena."  
  
"Mother!" Serena wheeled around when she recognized who that voice belonged to. It had been a long time since she last saw her. "What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" She looked around at the white expanse. She must be unconscious again.  
  
You are here because your body cannot go through what it did the last time. Raye has undeniably taxed your mind and body with that fireworks show she put on. Lita and Ami had to attack her after she began assaulting your mate."  
  
"What?" The last thing she remembered was talking to Darien by the house. Whatever happened after that she couldn't recall and didn't know if she wanted to. "Is he alright?"  
  
The old queen nodded. "From what I can tell, he is. Right now your body looks like Raye and is stuck that way. You can't wake up as two people, your mind knows that and is keeping your body down until you fix the problem. You have to separate from Raye before you can wake up." 


	35. Removed Angels

---------------  
  
Serena awoke to a white room and looked around. She should be in C4, in the med wing but she didn't recognize her surroundings. Someone was behind her and she turned quickly, but not fast enough. The person was gone. She had an eerie feeling that she was being watched.  
  
"Serena."  
  
"Mother!" Serena wheeled around when she recognized who that voice belonged to. It had been a long time since she last saw her. "What are you doing here? What am I doing here?" She looked around at the white expanse. She must be unconscious again.  
  
You are here because your body cannot go through what it did the last time. Raye has undeniably taxed your mind and body with that fireworks show she put on. Lita and Ami had to attack her after she began assaulting your mate."  
  
"What?" The last thing she remembered was talking to Darien by the house. Whatever happened after that she couldn't recall and didn't know if she wanted to. "Is he alright?"  
  
The old queen nodded. "From what I can tell, he is. Right now your body looks like Raye and is stuck that way. You can't wake up as two people, your mind knows that and is keeping your body down until you fix the problem. You have to separate from Raye before you can wake up."  
  
---------------  
  
CHAPTER 35  
  
Ami shrugged her shoulders. "My computer doesn't see anything wrong with her physically, except this." Bulma looked down to the little screen in Ami's hand.   
  
"We should get you a free screen so you don't have to squint everytime you try and read this thing. It'll pop up like a 3-D screen in front of you." Ami's amazement at this dimension's technology would never end.  
  
She smiled and pointed to the red colored light that appeared around the body on the screen. "This Mercury computer knows the energy signature and knows that it's Raye. It confirms that it is Raye. These little symbols down here are telling me that it's coming from the wrong body though. The dna strands don't quite match up with Raye's though."  
  
"So what you're telling me is Serena's wearing a type of body-suit that looks like Raye."  
  
"Something like that."  
  
"Damn."  
  
---------------  
  
Serena could feel the answer to her problem trying to push it's way through the back of her mind. It was nagging, almost mocking her in the way it teased her.  
  
"This is ridiculous!" Her Saiyan temper got the best of her and she shot an enormous ki ball, the size of the Capsule Corp mansion, out into the depths of her mind.  
  
"Hey," a voice yelled in response. "You mind watching where you fire those things?" Amara, dressed in white street clothes came strolling up. "I don't remember doing anything that deserved a blast."  
  
"Amara!" Serena jumped up and sqeezed the air right out of her oldest friend, next to Trista.  
  
"Hey Kitten, what's the matter?" She asked referring to the release of anger.  
  
"Raye's taken over my body somewhat. I can't wake up until we're seperated and I can't figure out how to do it." Serena sat back down in her chair and rested her head in her hands. Guilt was starting to overwhelm her. Here was sitting a friend who had been trapped in her for quite some time, along with three others. She didn't want their rebirths to be difficult for any of them, yet she hadn't figured out a way to get everyone out safely.   
  
Tears rolled down her cheeks and she wiped them away, hoping Amara would see what she was doing. It didn't work. She was being pulled with firm arms towards her friend and she just let it out.  
  
"Shh, it's alright, kitten. Everything will be fine, you'll see."  
  
Serena couldn't say anything. How could Amara know that everything would be fine? She was probably angry and disappointed that Serena hadn't figured it out, probably thought she was a stupid little girl. Some protector of the universe she turned out to be.  
  
"Whoa, what's going on in that head of yours?" Amara knew already but wanted to ask anyway. "You better not be thinking what I think you're thinking." Serena laughed through her tears.   
  
"What are you talking about?" Her wet hands wiped away the tears that kept falling.  
  
"Your body's tensing up. I know some mean thoughts are going through your head and I want it out now." Serena smiled.  
  
"I'm just thinking about how pathetic I am. I've gone through three rebirths and each time it's been a mess. I can't think of any way to make it easier. My brain hurts." Amara massaged her shoulder with one hand.  
  
"Maybe you're thinking with the wrong organ," she said tapping the place over Serena's heart. "The answer's in there, koneko. It's probably so big and so easy that you're totally missing it."  
  
Serena's head shot up. "Amara! You're a genius!"  
  
---------------  
  
Trunks and Goten were playing on the home made battle field a couple miles away from home when the felt an energy approaching earth.  
  
"Did you feel that Goten?"  
  
Goten stopped mid-blast and was still as he searched for what Trunks was talking about.   
  
"Yeah. I wonder what that is."  
  
"Let's go check it out." The two demi-Saiyans flew off in the direction of the energy source.  
  
Vegeta and Goku, who were having a mini battle of their own, paused for a moment when they felt a strange energy source heading to earth.  
  
"Do you feel that, Vegeta?"  
  
"You must be an absolute idiot if you're still asking me that question after all these years."  
  
"So what are we waiting for?"  
  
The two men flew off to find out what had entered earth's atmosphere. It certainly wasn't anything they were expecting nor was it anything they had ever felt before. In fact, this time, they barely felt an ki. It was more instinct they were going on, instinct because whatever it was they coming wasn't from earth.  
  
Their travels took them to the edge of the Black Forest. It was there that Goku flew down to the edge of the trees to wait the arrival of the unexpected visitors. Vegeta was close behind.  
  
"Where are the others?" Goku asked his companion.   
  
"What does it matter? If they're not here, they don't deserve to fight." Goku shrugged his shoulders at Vegeta's unique logic and waited. His body tensed when he heard a rustle come from behind him.  
  
"Well, it's a good thing we got here first, isn't it Trunks?" Goten and Trunks floated over their fathers' heads and landed in the branches of a large tree.  
  
"What are you brats doing here?" Vegeta glowered from the ground.  
  
"Just come to check out the action. We felt something weird and Goten here thinks its magic people."  
  
"Yeah, like Tenshi." Goku paused, unsure of what he just heard.  
  
"People with magic like Serena? How would you know?" Goku asked.  
  
Goten, a miniature of his father, answered, "It's like how you recognized when all those other bad people came. It's different though because these people don't have ki. I dunno dad, why did you come?"  
  
Goku didn't think much about it. It was on instinct that he came and over the years he had learned to trust that part of him.  
  
"Because I know that you two always find trouble." The two boys weren't listening anymore. They were watching three small figures appear in the sky, as if they walked through a hole in space.  
  
"Where is she?" A man dressed in black had exited the hole first. He was looking to his two companions for the answer, one-a female with long, dark red hair and the other, a younger looking man who had black hair, wearing baggy white pants and a white long-sleeve shirt. The man in white lifted his hand where lay a small tracker.  
  
"My readings tell me there is an energy source right over in those trees." Goten and Trunks shrunk down in the branches when the man pointed at them.  
  
"Goten, you can't use magic. They're picking up on it."  
  
The black-haired boy looked around. "I'm not doing anything," he whispered loud enough for Trunks to hear. It was then that he spotted his glowing tail. "Trunks. It's both of us, look." Goten was pointing to ther tails that were glowing silver. It was the cycle of the full moon and their tails were automatically getting ready to keep them normal.  
  
"What are we going to do? We can't hide them because that uses magic." Trunks was sneering at the thought of hiding anything, including himself. "We could always cause a distraction." The twinkle in his eyes made Goten a little nervous.  
  
"Yeah, until they catch us."  
  
"Whimp."  
  
"Chimp."  
  
"There are two energy readings over there which I'm picking up. Maybe we should check them out." The man in white tapped his tracker and looked towards the forest.  
  
"Very good, Delin. Shall we go see what our little miss is up to?"  
  
"Yes, Kallen."  
  
Goten looked at Trunks and then to Vegeta. He gave his uncle a wicked grin right before punching Trunks hard enough to send him flying out into the open.  
  
Trunks let out a yell and fell at the feet of the three new comers. Goten burst out of the forest and flew straight towards his target.   
  
"You're it!" He yelled before taking off into the sky. Trunks glared at him from the ground.  
  
"You better run, dork." He was standing, getting ready to take off when a hand grabbed his wrist.  
  
"Wait a minute, boy. What is your name?" The man in black asked him while keeping a firm grip on his arm.  
  
Trunks yanked his arm out of the older man's hand, pulling him forward in the process. "Who wants to know?"  
  
The red-haired woman stepped forward with a purely wicked smile on her face. "Kallen, Prince of Darkness."  
  
Trunks looked at the woman with a confused look on his face, then seconds later burst out in laughter. "You've got to be kidding me. You're no prince of darkness." He was rolling in the air with his hands holding his side. Goten came back down from the sky and floated behind Trunks.  
  
"What's so funny, Trunks?" Goten crossed his arms over his chest.   
  
"This guy right here claims to be the Prince of Darkness." Goten saw the man in black, whom Trunks pointed to and broke out in a laughing fit.   
  
Kallen found no humor in being laughed at. In fact, his energy readings jumped the longer the boys laughed. "Why, pray tell, do you find this so amusing?" His piercing green eyes and long black hair, that was tied back, would have been a menacing sight, unless you were one of the two boys.  
  
Goten was the first to calm. "I dunno. It's just funny, that's all. Trunks' dad here is the King of Darkness, but you're too scrawny to be his uncle."  
  
"He's not my uncle. I refuse to have someone so weak be related to me." Goten knew they were pushing their luck with a man they knew nothing about. "Besides," Trunks added, "the royal families only bear one child."  
  
It didn't look like Kallen was taking the news too lightly. His body was tense as ever and his lips were tight with rage. "Well, I predict no problems if we just keep this from your father, do you child? Curiosity is getting the best of me. Tell me, child, who is your father?"  
  
"King Vegeta, one of the last of the Saiyan's, leader of the Legendary Super Saiyans."  
  
"Super Saiyans?" The man in white stood in unbelief. "That's just a legend. We all know that there are no such things as Super Saiyans."  
  
"Believe what you want," Goten added. "It's not like you're much of a challenge anyway. Even we could break you with both hands tied behind our backs if we wanted to. We are the last of the Saiyans, First of the Legends."  
  
"And where is your father now?"  
  
"I don't think he'd even want to deal with someone as lame as you, if that's what you're asking."  
  
Delin, the one holding the tracker, lifted it again to check it's readings.  
  
"Who are you looking for?" Goten asked.   
  
Delin fell for his innocent face and answered, "Someone very special."   
  
"Like who?" Goten asked again. "I betcha I know where they are."  
  
"The woman of light, if you must know. We've come to dispose of her."   
  
"I'd appreciate it, Raida, if you wouldn't go telling everyone information that doesn't pertain to them." Kallen sneered at her.  
  
"It's not like these two brats know her, Kallen. Besides, knowing the Princess, she'll want to come and protect this world before we can get our hands on it. Better to have her come looking for us so we don't have to work too hard."  
  
"You better hope you're right, Raida, for your sake." Kallen looked towards the black-haired boy. "You look familiar, boy. What's your name?"  
  
"Son. Son Goten."  
  
"I can't quite place it, but be sure that when I do, I'll come back for you." Trunks took this time to stand up in front of Goten.  
  
"So about this lady, what does she look like?"  
  
"Princess, boy. Princess Serena of the Dead Moon Kingdom." Trunks's heart froze. These people were coming after his aunt.  
  
"Oh." Goten's eyes lit up. Trunks knew that look and hung his head in semi-defeat. He quickly tried to come up with a story to counter his best friend's. Goten continued. "Yeah. I read about her in my history book at school. She died. Some lady named Beryl came and destroyed her kingdom. She's dead."  
  
Trunks was amazed but hid it well.   
  
Raida, the only female in the group looked at Goten semi-sweetly. "Now that's funny because Delin's little computer here shows that you two carry her energy signature. How could that be if she was dead?" Raida patted Goten's head a little too sweet for his liking.   
  
"Um, we're vampires?" Goten shrugged his shoulders. He threw three little balls at them and yelled, "You're it!" before taking off into the air. Goten laughed and pointed and Trunks followed suit until the three paralyzed figures were no longer paralyzed.   
  
"Those little tricks don't work on us, boy!"   
  
"Oops." The two young boys teleported themselves out of the area and headed for home.  
  
Delin was getting ready to take off after them but Raida's voice held him back. "Don't be so uptight, Delin. I planted a bug on that little boy's head."  
  
---------------  
  
Vegeta had been sitting on the very branch his son had previously occupied, watching the scene unfold.   
  
"I have a bad feeling about this, Vegeta. They're looking for Serena."  
  
"You're stating the obvious again, Kakkarot. If you would have kept listening, you would have realized that the whore of a woman down there just planted a bug on your idiot-of-a-son's head."  
  
Goku didn't waste any time and transported back to Capsule Corp to protect his mate. He landed in the living room, right in front of Lita and Ami. "There are people coming. Be aware." Just before they were about to transform, Goku announced, "I wouldn't do that if I were you. They have some kind of energy tracer and you would lead them straight to this place."  
  
Ami immediately pulled out her little computer and began typing away. Sirens were going off and Sam's voice filled all the rooms in the house. "Son Goten is bugged, Son Goten is bugged. Activating magnetic field until further instructions. Activating magnetic field until further instructions."   
  
Bulma came running out of a back room to see what all the commotion was about. "What's going on?" she asked, and then heard Sam's report. "How in the world did someone get close enough to you to bug you, little boy?"  
  
She walked up to Goten's containment shield and looked him over.   
  
"It was that weird lady. I think she did it when she patted my head."  
  
Bulma smiled because of her quick mind. "Go SS2, Goten. Sam," she said, turning her attention to the computer, "put an energy shield around Goten. Let him power up, get ready for level 2 Saiyan. Mask his energy."  
  
"Very good, ma'am." The room beeped and clicked while Sam made preparations for the energy boost. "Energy containment shield ready and waiting."  
  
"Go for it, Goten." Goten powered up from normal to level two Saiyan in a matter of seconds. The things he was capable of was truly amazing. Sam's electronic voice told Bulma that there were no more traces of the little bug anywhere.  
  
"Good. Now that that's taken care of, I have to get back to Serena. Something's happening. I don't quite know what it is, but I think she's changing-"  
  
An enormous explosion came from the direction of the medical wing. "What the hell-"   
  
"Serena!" Goku flew through the wall seperating the two rooms and found himself standing in a demolished medical room. The part of the wall that was still in tact was burned black, smoke hung in the air like a fog and the rushing wind was doing no good to remove it so he could see. He searched his heart for the string that tied him to his life mate, but he couldn't find her end.   
  
Something told him she hadn't died, but not being able to find her quickly sent him into a deadly rage. Laughter, evil laughter rang through the smoky air.  
  
"All signs of Lunarian life have been destroyed. Except those two little boys. I know they're around here somewhere." It being a man's voice that was announcing all this made Goku more furious. He screamed and put on an enormous light show, attacking the invisible enemy with all he had.  
  
"What in blazes was that?"  
  
A very large, very angry male Saiyan was glaring at them from below. His long yellow hair spiked out from behind him, making him look like a golden dragon with eyes that glowed green with hatred.  
  
"What is that?" Delin nervously pushed a few buttons on his reader to identify what it was they were facing.  
  
"It can't be. You're all dead!"  
  
"What is it, damnit!" Kallen was behind him growing angrier that they had come across someone who didn't appreciate their redecorating.   
  
"It's a Saiyan, sir..." The small electronic device shattered in Delin's hand, a sign that there was an energy overload. The three were surrounded in a dark purple sphere that hovered above the wreck of a room they just made.   
  
"But Saiyans are extinct. That little boy couldn't have been telling the truth." Raida took a defensive step backwards, away from the glowing man who was coming nearer to them.   
  
"What did you do with my mate?" Kallen decided now would be a great time to disappear.   
  
"We did what we came to do. Don't take it personal." Goku let out a roar that shook the city. Those three strangers had disappeared and with them they took information on where his mate was. He couldn't believe she was dead, it would have been too easy. That's not the way she was supposed to go. He felt empty inside, a hollow feeling but as he calmed down he felt something flicker in him. Reaching deep down inside, Goku felt for the one thing that would tell him Serena was still alive.  
  
"Dad," his son called to him. "Dad, Tenshi's still alive. I know she is." Goku looked down to find his son looking at him with a serious expression.   
  
"And how do you know that, son?"  
  
Goten smiled up at his father. "My tail's still silver and that's my personal link to Tenshi. She told me that as long as she was alive, I would be protected." Goten waved his tail around and when Trunks got the gist, he did the same.  
  
"I hope you're right, Goten. I hope you're right." 


	36. Mech Flies & Broken Homes

Hi everyone. I'm so sorry that I've dragged this out way longer than I should have. Yeah, I checked and the last time I updated was last November dodges incoming pens and pencils. School's been tough, but for some of you, you keep trudging on and I applaud you. I have got to finish this story this summer or I'll never be able to move on with my life!!!  
  
I'd like to thank the one called Talent Scout, who kicked my butt in a few e-mails and helped me to get remotivated to write this chapter and the rest of the story. I hope you all enjoy and I'm sorry if you have to go back to chapter 35 to catch up again. 35 chapters...this is ridiculous! I'm really sorry. It will end soon, I promise.  
  
Echo.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ----------------------------  
  
CHAPTER 36: Mech Flies & Broken Homes  
  
"Argh!"  
  
Crack.  
  
"That. Is. Enough! Goku, you either stop punching my – Goku YOU POMPOUS ASS! There's barely any wall left to hold up my roof! Get in the gravity room and you better not come out of there until I call you out. Do you hear me!"  
  
Two hours had passed since the aliens had disappeared, since Serena had disappeared and Goku was wild with fury. Deep in his heart, he knew she couldn't be dead. She wasn't dead. But if she wasn't dead, where was she?  
  
Goku paused at the gravity room's control panel. "What do you want, Vegeta?"  
  
The Prince had followed him quietly after taking one look at his mate's angry face. "Just consider it my good deed for the month. It seems, Kakkarot, that we have switched places. You seem to be the one who's angry all the time now." A few beeps and vegeta could feel the familiar, comforting sagging of his body.  
  
"Let's do this."  
  
Vegeta had been waiting for a match like this. "Computer, double the amount of gravity." He watched as Goku slid his foot to balance himself. The weight of gravity was more than Goku had ever trained under before.  
  
Punches and kicks, blasts and bodies were thrown across the room but there was no resting. Goku had managed to dodge a punch and kicked Vegeta into a wall. Vegeta disappeared and reappeared above Goku and smashed him into the ground with a punch.  
  
Three hours later, both men could feel that time had passed. They were running out of energy and Goku was struggling to stay off the floor. Vegeta had just kicked him from the air and that's where he was laying, trying to get up. As Goku pushed himself up, a mist surrounded him and the room grew dark. The gravity room was gone and now he was all alone. "Vegeta?" But there was only silence. Something was nagging at him, something that wanted to be remembered but it vanished as quickly as it had come. There were whisperings, voices, but he couldn't tell who they belonged to.  
  
And then in the darkness, he saw a light in the distance, beckoning him to come to it. He ran to it, flew as fast as he could to reach it and as he got closer, he saw it was a little girl. She had black and silver-streaked curls and bright blue eyes that panicked for a moment until she saw it was him.  
  
"You're here!" She jumped into Goku's arms and squeezed his neck. "I knew you'd come for me!"  
  
Her ki felt so familiar, but again, he couldn't recognize it. "What's your name and what are you doing here by yourself?" His voice was a little too gruff for the child he could tell by the way she tensed.  
  
"They call me Renegade. I was told to wait for you here and to tell you that Serena's okay."  
  
"Where is she?"  
  
Renegade turned to look behind her and Goku could see the other light. He could instantly feel the pull of his mate's soul and was about to fly over to her but the little girl's voice stopped him.  
  
"Why can't I go to her?"  
  
"Because it is time for you to go back."  
  
"Really quick, just to make sure-"  
  
She shook her head. "I'll get in really big trouble if you go over there." Somehow Renegade had gotten out of his arms and was floating in front of him.  
  
"Kakkarot."  
  
Renegade looked around as if searching for the person who had spoken. "Time to go. Tell Vegeta I said hi." Goku was beyond confused now.  
  
"How do you know-" He had missed her cocking her arm back and missed the small hand that punched him in the jaw but he was flying backwards and felt his body slam against something hard.  
  
"If you'd stop daydreaming, you might actually put a mark on me." He was back in the gravity room and watched Vegeta's feet get closer to him, he couldn't move from his spot on the floor.  
  
Goku's jaw ached, which made it hard for him to ask, "Do you know a little girl named Renegade?"  
  
Vegeta paused. "No."  
  
"I feel much better now," Vegeta bragged as he stretched his sore limbs, "but let's do something a little more productive shall we? We've wasted all this time on you instead of spending it trying to find your mate." He kicked Goku in the side. "Gravity, normal." The low humming of the machine disappeared and the door whizzed open.  
  
"Vegeta, I can't move."  
  
Bulma's robots were in the process of rebuilding and repairing what was left of her home when Vegeta walked in dragging Goku behind him. Anger and fear had taken over her and as soon as she saw them come in, she walked over to them and hit Goku in the head.  
  
"That's for being stupid. Ow."  
  
"Come here woman." Vegeta pulled Bulma into his arms after letting go of Goku. No words were spoken, just the comforting of hearts. "We'll find her."  
  
Ami and Lita walked into the mess where everyone seemed to have congregated and dropped a box at Vegeta's feet. "We found your mech-flies. I just need your help to reprogram them to pick up magic energies."  
  
Goku rolled his head so he could see everyone. "Why do you have mech- flies?"  
  
When Lita saw Goku, she couldn't help but laugh. "What happened to you?"  
  
"Vegeta." Vegeta was also sporting bruises, blood, and sweat and incredibly enough, Bulma didn't seem to mind at all, even though she was pressed tightly to him.  
  
Ami just shook her head.  
  
Bulma pushed away from her husband's strong arms and sighed. "Well, let's get started shall we? We don't want to waste anymore time." Bulma picked up the box and led the girls to her lab. "Vegeta, can you bring Goku please?"  
  
Vegeta mumbled something about weaklings and grabbed Goku's shirt and dragged him down the hall, not caring if he hit anything on the way.  
  
The flies had been reprogrammed and were sent off to scour the planet in search of strange energy readings.  
  
"It will be at least two hours before we get any readings from any other continents and five hours for the mech-flies to encircle the globe." Ami was typing away at her small computer with one hand and Bulma's computer with the other. "I've programmed them to locate the specific energies of the three that were here when...Serena disappeared, so something should turn up."  
  
"How do you lock on to specific energies like that? I didn't know that there were different types other than the usual." Bulma was like a little child again with a new toy.  
  
Ami smiled. "It was something I had stumbled onto when we were in our world or dimension, rather. Our enemies are mostly magical enemies and use mostly magic attacks against us, which would be the reason that our physical fighting skills weren't so high. I can't remember exactly how we found it. I think it was Lita infact, who pointed it out, but magic has three defining qualities which are heat, color, and scent. And when people use magic to disappear, they leave a sort of signature that fades eventually. So I capture a bit of it and analyze it before it fades."  
  
"Amazing."  
  
Ami blushed. "Thank you. What I've done is I have programmed the mech-flies to recognize the signatures. The heat and color factor are not easy to pick up on when one is not using their magic but the scent is like a body odor, so they will be able to pick up on it, magic or not."  
  
Goku had been silent and distracted the whole time. He couldn't get that little girl out of his mind. She had been looking at him as if she were daring him to recognize her.  
  
"Earth to Goku."  
  
"Wha...?"  
  
"He's probably thinking of that little girl again."  
  
"What little girl?"  
  
Should he tell them? Maybe they know her. "While Vegeta and I were in the gravity room, I guess I got knocked out or something and somehow I had ended up in some dark place. There was a little girl there and she said her name was Renegade. Renegade said that she was told to wait for me to tell me that Serena was fine. I could see Serena's light far away but when I tried to go over there, she told me I couldn't go because she'd get in big trouble. And then she punched me." He turned to Vegeta, who just smirked. "Do you guys know any little girls named Renegade?"  
  
Lita smiled. "We used to call Serena Renegade when she was younger because she'd always get in trouble, get us in trouble."  
  
"But you said that she was to tell you that Serena was alright, so it couldn't have been Serena."  
  
Goku shook his head. "No, Renegade had black hair and blue eyes." He had a suspicion about those silver strands though. And when he looked over to the girls, they were sharing a look as if they knew what was going on. "What?"  
  
Ami looked slightly flushed. "I'm sure you'll figure it out one day," she answered cryptically and then went back to her typing. 


	37. Old Bonds, New Bonds

---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -------------------------  
  
CHAPTER 37: Old Bonds, New Bonds  
  
Bulma had asked Ami to meet her in the lab later that evening.  
  
"Hey, Ames. Glad you could make it. I have a question for you."  
  
"Okay."  
  
Bulma took a deep breath. "Now I know that you all have been friends forever and then some, but I just find something a little strange..." Bulma couldn't look the blue-haired woman in the eyes. "This might sound stupid and high handed of me but how come you and Lita don't seem the bit worried about Serena since she's disappeared?"  
  
Ami didn't feel like that at all, but now that she thought about it, her concern lay more towards how much time it would take to track Serena down than it was about how she was doing.  
  
"I don't know. I've just felt an overwhelming sense of calm, as if Serena were telling us that she was fine. Don't doubt that I'm worried about her, because I am. I don't know how to explain it. There was something else that I picked up when I analyzed the place but I can't say what it is at this moment. I have to work a bit more on it before I can give anyone any word of hope or despair."  
  
"Alright. I guess that will have to work for me." Bulma sagged in her chair. "I was just worried, I guess. I've never seen anyone that the guys have fought before who used magic. Magic is the unknown to me. I know more about what's out there in space than I do about these new enemies we have."  
  
Ami had forgotten how much time Serena had been here. She was very well aware of how attached one could get to the girl of never ending surprises. Just talking to Serena for five minutes could entangle someone's life with hers. She should know, above all people, how much Serena could affect someone's life.  
  
"It will be alright, Bulma. Everything will work out in the end. When we had lost all hope against our many foes, Serena was always there to tell us that as long as we have each other, anything is possible. And we, including everyone in her new family, have formed some kind of bond with Serena." Ami lifted Bulma's hand and placed it above her heart. "What does your heart tell you?"  
  
Bulma smiled. She knew that Serena wasn't dead. How, she didn't know, but the way the heart works, she knew there would be no explanation.  
  
"Thank you, Ami. Is there anything I can help you with?"  
  
Ami smiled. If this woman was just like her, which she basically was, there was no way she would be satisfied with not doing anything to help. "As a matter of fact, there is. I have to analyze the flies' information that's being sent back."  
  
"Well, what are we waiting for?"  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- -----------------------------  
  
Kallen was getting angry. He could find no trace of the Woman of Light anywhere. He thought he had destroyed her but somehow he had missed and she had disappeared without a trace.  
  
His job was to come here and destroy what his predecessors could not. And he had to succeed.  
  
His life depended on it.  
  
Music was being played softly in the background in an attempt to rid his headache, but so far it wasn't working. Someone was knocking on his door.  
  
"Come in."  
  
Raida walked in carrying a tray with food. "Here, you may feel better once you eat this." She placed the tray on the table beside him and stood quietly, wondering if she should ask her question. "Lord, if it's not bothersome, I'd like to ask you a question." Raida watched Kallen put down his cup.  
  
"Yes, what is it?"  
  
"How are we to deal with the Saiyans, sir? We are not prepared to deal with them, we don't know 'how they work'."  
  
Kallen rubbed his temples. "I've sent Delin to research their background, any history he can find on their race. I've heard in lessons and discussions many years ago that the planet no longer exists."  
  
"I thought to inform you that I've been doing some research as well. They seem to be a part of a group called Earth's Special Forces. There are five of them, but I can only locate the two Saiyans. I have no idea where or who the rest of the men are. From what I've gathered from people I've encountered today, they seem to fight in the style of martial arts, a physical fighting style. They shouldn't be any problem." Raida felt a surge of pride flow through her-proud that she had been able to inform his highness of something before Delin did. That man was always causing her trouble and unwanted embarrassment.  
  
"Very good. But let's not forgot that we should never underestimate our enemies, Raida. That's how Beryl and the others died."  
  
"Yes, my lord."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- ---------------------------  
  
Bulma had hooked up three more mech-flies to the computers and sure enough, the information she was looking for.  
  
"Ami, I found something here. It looks as if those bastards are hiding themselves in quadrant three of the northlands. That's pretty far away considering where they want to attack."  
  
Ami looked at the area on Bulma's 3-D globe. It was amazing, the technology that this woman possessed. And from what she was told, she was one of the few human beings on Earth that had access to such things as this.  
  
"Perfect. Let's just make sure that we check these before we send anyone out looking. And let's analyze that fly to see if we can catch any remaining traces of their magic. I don't know how close that fly got to them but let's give it a whirl, shall we?"  
  
Bulma concentrated on that single mech-fly while Ami checked and analyzed the rest. Working here was so much fun. She didn't know that anyone else had a passion for the same things as she did.  
  
"So, Ami. How's it going with you and Gohan?" Ami nearly dropped her computer.  
  
"Um, it's going...well I guess."  
  
"Have you two kissed?" Bulma was wearing an evil smile when Ami looked over to her.  
  
"You know, you're just like Mina. As a matter of fact, I'd say that you have similar qualities to those of Lita, Raye, Mina and myself. How strange."  
  
"Mina? Tell me about her again?" Bulma sat and listened to Ami recalling memories from ages ago. They laughed and laughed harder. Bulma's heart nearly cried as Ami told many war stories, including those of another life.  
  
"So we can't really wait until she comes. Darien has been so silent, he keeps to himself. You know, if it weren't for Serena right now, Darien would have shut himself up like he was when they first met, this time around. And I can't tell you how much he appreciates and needed that job at the hospital. You really know how to take care of your friends, don't' you?"  
  
A warm smile crossed Bulma's face. "Well, I can't save the world, but if I can save my friends from it, I will. I do what I can to keep my people sane. Someone has to, and in doing that, I find a certain power that just excites me. I dunno, I'm weird I guess." Ami just laughed.  
  
Sam's mechanical voice came over the speakers in the lab. "Madam, Darien is here and requests permission to enter."  
  
"Let him in. Darien! Good to see you, how are things at the hospital?"  
  
"Things are going fine. Thank you again for setting me up with that. I was never really good at...waiting." He sat down in a chair next to Ami. "Ami, have you been picking up any strange energy readings lately?"  
  
She looked at him a bit confused. "No, should I be?"  
  
Darien just shook his head. "No. I guess not. I don't really know whether or not I'm tied to this planet, it being a different Earth, but I feel something strange. I don't really know what it is."  
  
"I'm sorry, Darien. I haven't picked up anything yet, but I'll look into it if it will make you feel better."  
  
"I think that would be great," he said. "Thank you."  
  
Ami felt sorry for Darien. He had to be taking this the hardest. His soul- mate was still gone, the woman he was supposed to be protecting was gone too and that was probably the largest thing plaguing his mind. He was supposed to be protecting her again and he didn't know where she was.  
  
"You seem awfully calm there," Bulma commented on Darien's silence.  
  
Darien let out a tired chuckle. "Yeah, well, I'm surprised I seem that way to you. I feel like my existence here is pointless. I'm surrounded by people whose strength exceeds mine by light years, I don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore, and the woman whom I'm supposed to be protecting, the last time I checked, has disappeared. I'm not sure that privilege is really mine anymore. I don't really know what to feel actually."  
  
"Well," Bulma said, attempting to break up the tenseness in the room, "if you're not sure what to do, you're more than welcome to help us."  
  
"What are you guys doing?"  
  
Ami smiled and summarized what they had been doing.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------  
  
It had been four days since anything had happened, since the aliens had come and destroyed part of the Briefs' house, since Serena had disappeared. Goku wasn't the only one who was getting impatient. Lita was currently working off some steam with Mirai in the Black Forest.  
  
"You're sure that you're not part Saiyan?" Mirai' chest was heaving; he had been giving and receiving quite the workout today.  
  
"Yes, I'm very sure. Thanks for helping me. I don't know about you but when things go wrong and I'm tied as far as things I can do, I just get a strong itch to fight."  
  
"You walk, talk, and damn near fight like a Saiyan." He got a laugh out of her, a tired one, but a laugh nonetheless. He loved seeing this side of her, being the cause of it. Mirai retired to a rock after calling break. His clothes were torn, he lost his shirt a long time ago, burn marks covered his body. Lita was in the same condition, minus the burn marks. But in their place were bruises and red marks that would last her until at least tomorrow because she would have healed by then. "Well, I know how you feel."  
  
"You do, don't you?" She was looking at him when she said it and when his eyes met hers, she could see the turmoil burning behind his endless blue eyes. His past memories flooded her mind, images that were flying through his as well. This man had fought so many times, against so many enemies- ones he had no hope of beating.  
  
Lita could feel his pain coursing through her as if it were her own. The sudden urge to be held caught her off guard. She shivered, afraid of what else she was going to see. "Mirai-"  
  
Mirai's eyes never left hers since his moment his memories flooded into his mind. He watched her eyes widen in shock and fear. "You can see them, can't you?" When she nodded, his heart went out to her, and so did his arms. They wrapped around her and Mirai did all he could not to squeeze her too hard. This was strange, holding a woman like this but it felt very right to him.  
  
It felt even better when Lita turned around and pressed her face to his chest and sobbed the worries and frustrations of this whole situation onto him. At first he panicked because he had never seen a woman cry. His mother didn't cry that he knew of. He didn't know what to do, but his heart told his body what to do so he just held her until she calmed down. Held her and whispered, cooed in her ear, telling her that everything would be alright.  
  
When her storm of emotions was finally down to mere sniffles, she gently pushed away from his warm body and looked up at him. "Don't you dare tell anyone about this." Her face was flushed with embarrassment and was surprised when a hand pressed itself to her cheek and a thumb wiped her last tears away.  
  
"About what?" Mirai was locked onto Lita, seeing past the tears in her eyes, into the woman that was aching to be. He felt strange feelings emerge, feelings of possessiveness, the feeling of wanting to, needing to protect the woman in front of him.  
  
Mirai saw a flash of silver pass through her green and red eyes and her skin paled. "What's wrong?"  
  
Lita could sense the energy in the air. Nature was running away from something. "Something's coming."  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------------------------  
  
First of all, Mirai Trunks is really HOT. Yeah. It's too bad we can't upload pictures on this site, because I would put a really hot one up of him. Yeah baby! I wouldn't mind marrying (or mating) him, or his father for that matter...I love men with attitude. Let me clarify. Men with his kind of attitude.  
  
Duh duh duh.................what's going to happen in the next chapter? Who knows? Lol. Well, here's the chapter for this week. HOPEFULLY, I'll be able to rip out two more chapters next week, but we'll see. I'm going off island for the weekend and its celebrations so I'm not too sure what's going on in life right now.  
  
I hope that you all enjoy this little chunk of story. Feel free to review if you want! Actually, go ahead and review. It makes me feel better and more excited to write more chapters. Thanks for keeping up with the story.  
  
Echo. 


	38. And Now It Begins

Hi friends. Here's another attempt at finishing the story. I'm getting closer to my goal of 45 chapters!!! Woohoo for me!!! And you! Because then we can both be done with this story and get on to better things.

I'm not really sure how this compares with the other chapters in length but I didn't want to type anymore because then I'd have to type a LOT more and…yeah. So I'm lazy, read another story lol. I tried not to leave you with a cliffie and I don't think I did, but if you feel otherwise, too bad for you. You should be used to it by now. :)

Enjoy and don't forget, reviews rejuvenate the writer's will.

And here we go!

----------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 38: AND NOW IT BEGINS

The first attack came with no warning. The explosions that went off in Satan City could be felt and heard at Capsule Corp., about 30 miles away.  
  
Bulma had been at Arem's shop when she felt the first blast.  
  
"What was that?" The second explosion was bigger than the first; canisters and bottles crashed to the floor. Arem was frozen in fear, too many memories of her past kept her from doing anything.  
  
"Arem! Get under there, quick!" Bulma pushed the other woman towards the counter and hid under a display table. "Sam, what's going on?" Bulma had luckily made her assistant available at every Capsule Corporation-founded building.  
  
"There are two unidentified beings wreaking havoc upon Satan City. From what I can pick up from broadcasts and emergency calls, they are flying in the air. People are saying that it is Cell, that he has returned."  
  
"Well, is it?" Bulma could barely hear Sam's voice over the horrible noises coming from outside. Cell. That was the most dangerous and tiring alien that Earth's Special Forces had ever encountered and she didn't think Earth or the Z Fighters could withstand another visit from him.  
  
"No. From the views I have seen, it is a man and woman. Most likely the same ones who had destroyed part of your house earlier this week."  
  
"Perhaps," Bulma said. "Do you notice any patterns in their attacks?"  
  
"None besides them attacking in a circular motion," the computer answered.  
  
Bulma could feel her mate's worry for her and seconds later, he was there in front of her very frightened eyes.  
  
"Come woman. I am taking you home."  
  
Bulma hadn't been happier than she was right then to hear that commanding voice.  
  
"Wait!" she said as she crawled out from under the table. "Arem, she's under the counter."  
  
"Arem, come out. We are going home." But Vegeta's command went unanswered. "Arem, I would not appreciate having to dig your body out of the pile of rubble this building will be in a little while-"  
  
"I can't," a quiet voice said.  
  
Vegeta effortlessly pulled the counter apart and lifted the frightened Arem from her hiding place. Bulma reached her hand out to her mate and as soon as she grabbed his hand, she was back in the safety of her home.  
  
"What's going on out there, Vegeta?"  
  
"It's those two fools who were looking for Serena. They're probably destroying the city, knowing that she would come out to protect it."  
  
Bulma panicked. "But she's not here."  
  
Vegeta was well aware of that and had been trying to devise some sort of plan.  
  
"They don't know that."  
  
"What do we do without Serena-"  
  
"Just because my sister is not here, does not mean that those two will not be stopped. What do you take me for?"  
  
Bulma saw the surprise in Vegeta's face, that she would dare to deny him a fight.  
  
"But love, you don't fight with magic."  
  
"That is a little thing-"  
  
"Dying is not a little thing. Watching my husband die is not a little thing and don't you ever say that again!" Bulma had lost her control. She knew that Vegeta cared about his safety more than he let on but she couldn't help but hate his way of handling his opponents.  
  
The tears streaming down her face softened Vegeta's heart and it reflected on his face as he pulled her close.  
  
"You worry too much, woman. I'm not that short-tempered, quick-to-attack idiot that I once was. Lita and Ami are coming with us to assist with the magic of the others. Our sons-"  
  
"Don't you dare drag our sons into this mess, Vegeta! I won't stand for it!"  
  
"Then you better sit down because they are going. It is their fight as well. I was protecting my family before I was anywhere near their age or their skill level. Do not deny a Saiyan the privilege to protect his family."  
  
Bulma realized that there was nothing she could say or do that would change his mind on this. Anger. That's what she wanted him to know.  
  
"My sons better come back to me in one piece or you will answer to me, Vegeta. Make no mistake about that. I will take it out on you and I promise you, you will not survive it."  
  
Bulma. Vegeta could have sworn that she said she wasn't a Saiyan, but now, she seemed more Saiyan than not with her worry-based threats. He kissed her soundly, promising in that kiss that he would keep his sons safe.  
  
-----------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
"Don't tell me I've been wasting my precious energy for nothing, Delin." Raida was suspended in the air, looking over the city that lay close to ruin, thanks to her. The damage she had caused barely required any energy on her part, not with the type of explosions she had used.  
  
"I don't understand it, Raida. She should be here by now. Her Lunarian blood would not allow or withstand the death of all these people."  
  
"Maybe this Lunarian is different from the rest. Maybe our Lunarian actually has guts." Raida's laughter was cut short by a hand squeezing her throat.  
  
"Or maybe you took a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong planet." The vicious Saiyan blood in Goku made him squeeze her throat a little tighter. "What do you think about that?"  
  
Raida could feel her neck being crushed and everything in it. She could see the man's eyes burning with thoughts of her death, but she had no clue who he was.  
  
"Where is she?" Goku growled as he shook her.  
  
"Who are you?" she managed to say.  
  
"Don't change the subject-" but his words went unheard. The woman he was holding was no longer focused on him but on the smoke behind him. The fires were being put out but he didn't know how or if there was even a who involved.  
  
Raida's eyes darted back and forth, searching for her companion no doubt, unable to detect him anywhere.  
  
Goku missed the hand that touched his but he did not miss the cold burning that passed through it, through his arm. His reaction was to drop her and clutch his arm to his chest, but the pain would not stop. He couldn't even attempt to ignore it, the pain was that great. It would be ignored, he couldn't have it distracting him.  
  
When Goku looked, he couldn't find the woman he had just let go of, but he could feel Vegeta, along with his two sons, on their way. As Goku flew towards the familiar energy, he was engulfed in a thick mist. His clothes immediately clung to his body, soaked from the millions of droplets of water that had suddenly come out of thin air. And that's when he saw the blue light that was Ami's energy.  
  
The person he saw couldn't be her, though. The woman he saw was wearing a blue sailor outfit with a white trimmed mini skirt. Her eyes were covered by some sort of visor that reminded him of Vegeta's old scanner. Her hair floated about her as if she were in water, and she was holding some kind of staff in one hand, a staff that resembled a fork, a trident maybe.  
  
He watched her talk to herself and realized quickly that she was talking into a headpiece attached to her ear. "What do you want me to do?" She nodded. "Jupiter, do you copy that? Move them to the sky."  
  
The woman in blue stood with her hands in the air as if she were waiting for something. Goku didn't find out what that something was until her hands went down again, the mist cleared and there were no fires or mist left in sight. She looked up, saw him, and smiled. It was Ami, his eyes weren't playing tricks on him. So, was this the transformation he had never seen? It must have been because another woman flew into sight, dressed in the same style of outfit but in greens and pinks. It was Lita! And she had the second guy in the air, fighting him with hand gestures and kicks.  
  
Vines shot up from between the buildings like thousands of fingers, grabbing whatever and whomever they could. Delin and Raida.  
  
"Go!" Lita yelled. She fought to keep her vines from being burned by her prize-captures. Delin had managed to loosen his hands and had been gathering dark energy for an enormous dark energy ball that hadn't been noticed until it was too late.  
  
"Watch out!" But Delin had already fired it and was laughing as it sailed towards the center of the city. Raida smirked even though she was still tangled in Lita's vines. Delin's attack was aimed at Lita, who had just barely heard Goku's warning in time.  
  
Lita dodged the attack and didn't give it a second glance as it whistled past her. Goku was about to comment on her carelessness until he watched the blast being absorbed by what looked like a gold shield. Surprise was written all over his face.  
  
Delin had been very surprised as well and his attacking became more furious and frustrated since all his attacks were being eaten by the protective shell around the half-destroyed city.  
  
"What in the name of Cosmos is going on here?" Delin was beyond angry now.  
  
"No. How can this be? How many of you Sailor Brats are there?" Raida only knew of the two that were there and they were both concentrating on herself and Delin.  
  
"Just the two of us," Ami said as she rose in the sky, passing unharmed through the barrier. "Will that be a problem?"  
  
Delin floated next to his alien companion now, a hand of restraint on her shoulder.  
  
"No problem at all," he sneered.  
  
Vegeta and Gohan chose that moment to show up.  
  
"Ah, I am assuming that you are Vegeta, last of the purebloods," Delin goaded.  
  
Vegeta didn't bite the bait. "Who wants to know?"  
  
"Just a curious space traveler. Tell me, weren't you supposed to be guarding the Royal Moon Court? What happened? I heard they're all dead."  
  
"And I heard otherwise," Vegeta responded, trying to keep his anger at bay, "or did I not hear correctly when you told my son that you were looking for the Woman of Light?"  
  
Delin was a little flustered because he couldn't recall seeing Vegeta the day they arrived.  
  
"We are, it is true. If her protectors are here, she must not be too far away." Raida had spoken now after regaining her bearings. "So fetch her so we may be over with this. I have other things I could be doing right now like painting my nails."  
  
These strangers were trying his patience. Vegeta could see Lita in the distance, waiting for the slightest move from the enemy, so she could get in on the action. Gohan was floating alongside Ami, an attempt to protect her.  
  
"I would love to 'be over with this' but unfortunately you just missed her. She has left this planet and won't be coming back." And he said after glancing at Mirai, "but please, if it is a fight you are looking for, we are more than willing to accommodate you."  
  
Goku was watching and hearing all this going on from a rooftop. He had flown down because of the pain in his arm. It had spread into his legs and other arm. He was clutching the rooftop's edge to try and catch his breath and maybe catch the building so it would stop spinning.  
  
The energy of the shield smelled familiar, but it was faint, a scent he had never really paid much attention to. He could hear fighting going on above him, but whatever it was that he was plagued with, drained much of his energy and he couldn't concentrate on the scuffle for long.  
  
Ami could see the energy readings of her new friends but there was one that was beginning to worry her. After increasing visibility range, she spotted Goku falling through the air and pushed herself so she could reach him in time.  
  
"Goku, what's the matter?"  
  
All he could do was wince and mutter "pain".  
  
This was not looking good, Goku was not looking good. From what she could see, his limbs were turning purple and he was cold where she was holding him. His breathing was short and labored and he was breaking out in a sweat. She could guess what had happened but she couldn't do anything about it.  
  
"Can you tell me anything about how this happened?" Ami needed her suspicions confirmed before she could do anything.  
  
"She touched me," he managed to say, "and pain."  
  
Poisoned. That was the way many magic people worked. Obviously that woman had done her homework and new that Saiyans weren't the magical type and therefore could not come up with any counter for their special attacks.  
  
What was she going to do? There were only a few people she knew that could heal this sort of ailment and she was not one of them.  
  
"Goku, can you fly at all? I'm afraid I'm not strong enough to carry you too."  
  
Goku lifted his head to try, but he couldn't. Whatever energy he did have left was being used to help him breathe. He did his best to hang on to her.  
  
"We have to get you to the hospital..."  
  
Hospital was the only word he heard and he could feel his temperature drop. Goku wasn't afraid of death, he wasn't afraid of pain and had proved that over and over again in every battle he had participated in but if there was one thing he was deathly afraid of, it was hospitals.  
  
"No-"  
  
"You have no choice. Unless you can fly on your own and heal yourself, we're going to the hospital."  
  
"I..." Goku was fading in and out, he had little time left before the poison in him would take his life. Ami had to hurry.  
  
"I don't think Serena would appreciate me leaving her mate to die, do you?"  
  
Goku didn't hear that, his mind was still too occupied with where they were going.  
  
"Please, no...needles."  
  
Ami had to laugh, she would force herself if she couldn't. How could such a big, strong man be afraid of something so small?  
  
"No needles, I promise."  
  
If Goku had been more alert, he would have noticed the scent of the magic getting stronger, they were getting closer to the source of the shield. He could feel them descending and he could hear Ami calling for someone to help her.  
  
Goku was grabbed by two strong hands and laid on his back. He opened his eyes to see a tall, dark haired man with glowing blue eyes with one hand lifted in the air and one hand placed on his chest.  
  
"Chest...hurts..."  
  
The man nodded, he knew, he could feel the dark shadow growing in Goku's weakened body, desperately trying to take over its host. It had been a while since he'd had to use his power for removing illness brought on by magic-users, but he closed his eyes and concentrated.  
  
Goku knew he was being touched but not why until he felt a sense of calm and coolness wash over him. It was getting easier to breathe and whatever was in him felt like it was being pulled from his body, clinging as hard as it could to stay in him. When he could manage it, Goku opened his eyes and saw Darien standing above him, the man he had gone out of his way to intimidate and prove him untrustworthy, healing him while managing to keep hold of the protection he was giving the city around him. The constricting dark energy was slowly loosening its grip from Goku. He could breathe again.  
  
Ami couldn't tear her eyes from the healing process, she had never seen it done before and couldn't help herself. It was amazing because she could actually see the poison leaving Goku's limp body. Ami didn't see Darien's pained face or realize how hard it was for him to be doing two large tasks at once. When he was finally done, Darien's arm hung from its socket as if it were dead to him.  
  
"Are you okay, Darien?" But Darien didn't answer. She could see how unnatural his arm looked. She moved closer to lift his sleeve and gasped when she saw his limb was now the black that had been Goku.  
  
"Darien-"  
  
"Never mind me. Get back there. I'm not going to be able to do this for much longer. Get rid of them."  
  
"Okay," she said with her eyes still attached to the hand that healed.  
  
"Now."  
  
Ami flew off, not knowing Goku's condition or Darien's for that matter. She hoped everything would be alright in the end and that end she would have to come up with quickly if she wanted her friends to survive the day.


	39. Pull For Strength

Hi : )

Here is the next chapter, obviously. We're nearing the end...can you feel it? I can! This one is filled with more action, at least I think it is. I might not get the next chapter out for another week or so, I'll be going home to the beautiful Northwest for a month but I'll continue with the ideas when I have spare time up there.  
  
I hope this will satisfy you for now.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------  
  
CHAPTER 39: PULL FOR STRENGTH  
  
Lita was getting tired as were Mirai and Gohan. Every attack was being dodged and all the magical attacks were being eaten by some sort of black hole.  
  
"Can you get close to them?" Lita flew up to avoid the blasts being sent her way.  
  
"I can," Mirai answered, "but they seem to be able to predict my moves before I can get there. Is it possible they're telepathic?"  
  
Ami was hiding on a rooftop, trying to make time to assess the situation at hand. Through her com link she told Lita, "anything's possible with magic people. I'm kind of surprised that they've lasted this long against all of us though. Normally just two of them wouldn't be able to last against physical attacks but they seem to be doing just peachy," she added a bit sarcastically.  
  
Lita was done playing around with them. "Who are you and what are you guys doing here?"  
  
Raida paused and smiled a wicked smile. "We are direct descendants of Selene, come to claim the throne that was taken away from our people centuries ago by that whore, Serenity."  
  
Mirai grabbed Lita as quickly as he could and held her still.  
  
"The only whore here is you, you ass mole!"  
  
"Ooh, are we getting angry?" Raida mocked, but not before Lita closed her eyes to summon her powers. The sky grew dark, clouds circled in the sky and the air sizzled around them. Lita's hands shot out to her sides as if calling and awaiting something.  
  
Mirai watched a little rod rise out the top of Lita's tiara.  
  
"JUPITER...THUNDER...DRAAAGOOON!" Bolts of hot white light streamed from Lita's head and formed a huge white fire-haired dragon that flew towards Raida. Mirai was shocked. The only other time he had seen this move was when Lita and Ami used it against the one called Raye. And the dragon was even bigger this time.  
  
Lita's pet circled the woman and was just about to strike but Raida had created a large black shield that sucked the dragon right into it. She laughed at how pathetic it was that such energy had been wasted until the dragon's tail flew over the top of the shield and whipped her, sending her flying back.  
  
Lita's smirk was evident as Raida flew through the air. Smoke accompanied her singed body and left trails in the sky. Delin had been preoccupied with Gohan who hadn't even broken a sweat yet.  
  
"Why don't you stop hiding behind your magic and fight like a real man," Gohan goaded.  
  
But Delin wasn't that stupid. "You use your hands to deliver blows and so do I. I just don't have to touch you or be anywhere near you for that matter." Delin held his hand out and Gohan pulled his back to prepare a Kamehameha blast. It was almost ready, when Gohan suddenly felt a warning in the back of his mind that something wasn't right. It didn't help that his enemy was just standing there with his hand, waiting.  
  
And then he felt it. He felt like something was crawling through his body and was burning him from the inside out. Gohan looked up to see Delin smiling at him.  
  
"What's the matter?"  
  
Gohan's lungs were burning. "What did you do...to me?"  
  
"Something I like to call Sun Worms. Don't worry though. It won't hurt for long." And with that said, Delin went in search of his partner, laughing.  
  
Ami was still on the building, trying to find holes and weaknesses but was unsuccessful so far. Her scanner had picked up an energy somewhat like Goku's and when she flew up to find it, she found Gohan instead. He was scratching at his body, yelling at the top of his lungs.  
  
She flew as fast as she could, thinking to herself that the Sons must be predisposed to magic attacks. It was strange for her, however, to be more worried about this particular Son than she was about the other one.  
  
"Gohan, what's wrong?" If she had been any less nervous, she would have scolded herself for not checking the area first for the villains.  
  
"He said something about sun worms. Ami, I'm being roasted from the inside out!" Ami had the worst luck. Every time she was around this man, her brain never seemed to work right and now, since she was in a panic, more than ever.  
  
"Okay, just...breathe. I'll figure something out." 'Sun worms. Roasted. Opposite of ' Ami grabbed the sides of Gohan's head, looked him in the eyes and said, "open your mouth".  
  
He did as she asked and she mimicked him, her mouth just centimeters away from his own. For a moment, the pain was gone and the memory of the first time they kissed came to the front of his mind. He remembered the cool feeling that spread through his body, not even noticing that the same thing was happening now until it was over.  
  
"Did that help?" she asked breathlessly.  
  
He couldn't tear his eyes from hers, such normally dark blue eyes were now a lighter shade with a bit of silver frosting around the edges. In her transformed state, her skin seemed a bit more translucent, her bangs even had silver streaks through it, and he noticed for the first time a small white snowflake under her left eye. A birthmark maybe?  
  
"Yes," he said quietly. He was about to kiss her when he felt the worms crawling under his skin. He could see them crawling under his skin and that was utterly disgusting.  
  
"Can't you freeze them too?" He asked while swatting at his arms and his chest.  
  
"I don't think so, not without killing you in the process." The look of despair in Ami's eyes melted his heart. The worms would have the same effect on him in a little bit if they didn't find some way to cure him.  
  
As if a god-send, a small boy with long spiky gold hair and light blue- green eyes popped up beside the two of them.  
  
"Who are you?" Ami asked. She had never seen this boy before and more importantly, what was a boy doing on the battlefield?  
  
"Gotenks," Gohan answered. "I'll explain later."  
  
Gotenks looked at Gohan quizzically. "What's wrong with you?"  
  
"That guy used his magic on me and gave me sun worms."  
  
"You have worms?" For a situation that was in no way funny, hearing the boys say it that way lightened the mood a bit.  
  
"Magic worms...in my body...that are killing me. Painfully."  
  
"Oh, okay," the little boy said and turned to fly away. But he didn't. "Just kidding. Um...let's see. What would Tenshi do? I got it!" Two little hands were placed on Gohan, one above his heart and the other on his stomach. Gotenks closed his eyes and concentrated, letting the pure energy flow from him into Gohan.  
  
Again, Ami was amazed by the healing process. She could see the white light traveling from the little boy into Gohan, no doubt healing him. Lita had yelled something over their link but she hadn't been paying attention.  
  
"What did you say?"  
  
"I said watch out. They're coming after you!" Ami didn't see it in time, but Gohan saw the blast aimed at them and grabbed her and turned around to take the brunt of it.  
  
When he didn't feel anything, he turned his head and saw Gotenks and a white bubble around them.  
  
"Another child with her energy signature? How many children does this woman have?"  
  
"We're not her children, you idiot. I don't know how many times we have to tell you she's gone."  
  
Raida looked in her new scanner and saw that this little boy standing up to them had three different energy signatures.  
  
"Delin, it's those two little boys from earlier. Somehow they've fused into one person."  
  
"Wow, so there is intelligent life in space after all. Go figure." It was apparent whose attitude ruled between the two boys.  
  
"You have a lot of sass, boy, for someone who's so small and weak." Delin was tired. The battle today proved that they had a well-matched fight and they obviously weren't going anywhere. "Well, you guys are almost worth fighting. It took seven of you against us, which merely proves we were playing with you the whole time."  
  
Raida was pissed off. Her face and half her body suffered from third degree burns from the dragon's tail that had lashed her before it was swallowed up in the black hole.  
  
"Let's not be rude in leaving, Delin," Raida hissed. "Why don't we give them a going away present-"  
  
"Or a present that won't go away," Delin suggested with a smile. They flew higher in the sky and together created an enormous black void. "Have fun. We'll see you later."  
  
"Or not." Raida grabbed Delin's hand and disappeared. Ami pulled a few mech- flies out of nowhere and sent them up in the air to trace the magic trails that had been left behind.  
  
They were sucked into the void though. Lita had joined the group at that point and began to worry when her hair flew away from her.  
  
"What's going on?"  
  
Ami typed away at the air, trying desperately to find a way to close the void. "Gotenks, do you think you can do anything? Magic for magic? I don't have the power to close that thing."  
  
"Sure," the little boy shrugged. Gotenks could feel himself being pulled towards the circle in the sky. The pull was getting stronger and Ami and Lita, who were weak flyers, grabbed onto Gohan and Mirai for anchor.  
  
Gotenks lifted his hands in front of him and summoned the light that was in him. His first attempt was sucked into the void as were his second and third attempts.  
  
"It's not working, Ami. I don't know how to shut this thing off." Gohan had grabbed Gotenks at this point, as a brotherly instinct to keep him protected.  
  
After the three blasts from the young boy, the void's vacuum was twice as strong as before and increasing by the seconds. Mirai and Gohan were fighting it as hard as they could but they couldn't leave until they figured out a way to shut it down.  
  
Cars came flying at them, buses, trees, the tops of buildings. Mirai had transformed to SS2 just so he could have enough energy to pull himself and Lita away and after Gohan had done the same, they held onto their women and had Gotenks by the legs so he could still make attempts to close the hole.  
  
Mirai didn't see the semi coming towards him, he had been concentrating too much on what was going on behind him. The truck hit him head on, flying at over 200 mph. He let go of Lita but caught her hand just in time.  
  
Whole buildings were flying at them now. They were blasting their way through the debris, the city was being uprooted. Luckily, by this time, most people had fled the city in the beginning except for a few unlucky ones who had already flown past them.  
  
Exertion and sheer will power helped the two men to move a little forward. Their transformations were flickering as the winds picked up and more and more buildings were flying at them and faster.  
  
Gotenks had unknowingly been using some of his brothers' energy and realized his mistake when the hole was getting bigger and closer. Lita could see it coming since she was still just barely hanging on.  
  
In a last attempt, with whatever energy she hadn't spent on refueling Mirai, she crossed her arms over her chest. Suddenly, she was being pulled down by a strong hand, so was everyone else. It had worked. The roots of the surrounding trees had stretched out and grabbed, pulling them towards the ground. But it wouldn't hold forever and she knew it. Pretty soon all the trees, this whole earth, would eventually be sucked in to the black hole.  
  
Lita was right. It felt as if she were slipping from the grasp of nature. Mirai was still blasting flying debris as was Gohan. Ami had long since passed out. More roots acted as shield, temporarily blocking the city from hitting them and even more began to cover what was left of the buildings that were still on the ground, to hold them down where they belonged.  
  
She was done. Her body went limp and she slid out of the roots that were holding her. Gotenks saw her and flew after her. He caught her arm, wrapped his legs around her waist and held out his arms for one last attempt.  
  
He screamed. His body burned from the amount of raw energy that was coursing through him. A mixture of white and yellow light fused together, shot through his arms, out his hands and into the hole. His brothers were holding off the city so he could accomplish this one thing. He wasn't about to let his friends down, his family down. He couldn't let his father down. He had to succeed. There was no other option.  
  
At first, nothing happened. Gotenks didn't notice his hair growing longer, didn't notice it turning black. He didn't notice the red fuzz that spread over his arms or the rest of his body. But he felt a snap of control, could hear his scream echoing in his ears and a blast of energy that could not have been his. And everything went black.  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------  
  
Ami was the first to wake up. She was back at Capsule Corp, laying in the newly rebuilt C4. To her left lay Gohan, Mirai, Trunks and Goten. And to her left lay Goku, Darien, and someone else she didn't recognize. The bed and the person on it were locked in Sam's square and that instantly sent chills up her back.  
  
Vegeta sat on a chair against the far wall with his arms folded over his chest and his glare in place. Normally, his glares could be shrugged off but this one held an anger and animosity she had never seen before.  
  
Bulma walked in with a cup of water and handful of pills. "Here, take these," she said. Something was different about Bulma too. Her eyes seemed...sad.  
  
"What's wrong, Bulma?"  
  
"Nothing," she whispered but Ami saw her glance at the bed with the stranger.  
  
"Who's nothing?" Ami looked at the bed where Bulma's attention had just been.  
  
"Go see for yourself." Ami slid off her bed to see who it was. She took one more look at Vegeta to see if he would mind, but his gazed hadn't budged. Ami could see that it was a woman's body on the bed and as she got closer to it, she could see purple hair attached to it.  
  
"Arem?" But why would Arem be locked in Sam's Square, of all people? Ami turned to ask Bulma why but Bulma took one look at her and left the room in tears.  
  
Something significant must have happened if Bulma was crying and Vegeta's anger was directed at Arem. Ami couldn't even begin to imagine what had happened.  
  
"Vegeta, why is Arem like this?" she asked, referring to the protective shield around her.  
  
Ami waited. She wouldn't ask the question again out of sheer intimidation, but just as she was about to turn around, Vegeta answered her.  
  
"Because that is not Arem."  
  
"Not Arem? She has the same markings and same energy-"  
  
"And another one hiding behind it." Vegeta shifted in his chair. "I found the imposter on the ground, watching all of you as you were being sucked into that hole made by those idiots. She was wearing that cloak," he said, tossing a nod to the clear container on a nearby desk, "and I saw her attack Gotenks while he was trying to close the hole. So I attacked her, knocked her out, and found Arem under the hood."  
  
It was strange that Arem would be out on the battle field. She hated any kind of violence that wasn't her training and that wasn't even the kind of training that everyone else trained under. It was basic defense skills that she was learning, speed, agility. "And you know for sure that it wasn't Arem." Ami saw a bit of sadness creep into the prince's eyes for a moment before he hid them away.  
  
"Yes, but you don't need to know the details." And the next part was said with more anger and loathe in Vegeta's voice than she knew was possible. "All you need to know is that whoever it is is no friend of mine."


	40. More Things To Worry About

Well, I'm happy to say that this chapter did not take more than two weeks to get out. I'm finally home in the great Northwest and finally found time to write this chapter. Things will start to pick up from here for the long- stretch to the finish line. Thanks for following along so far. If the next chapter doesn't come out for a while, I apologize. I hope to get out at least one more before my family moves out of this house at the end of this month...this house that my family's lived in for the last 10 years of my life.  
  
Weeps I could really use a Saiyan right about now (  
  
Enjoy and I hope to see you next time. A little R&R might help to fuel the brain cells. Maybe some guessing?  
  
Echo  
  
---------------------------------------------------------------------------- --------------------  
  
CHAPTER 40: More Things To Worry About  
  
Bulma was in a more somber mood. She had been home when Vegeta transmitted everyone home and seeing Arem being casually carried and dropped onto one of the med-beds had started a one-sided yelling match. Vegeta said nothing except, "don't touch her." He had never seriously threatened her before so she was shocked to the core. She wouldn't disobey her mate even though she had no idea why she couldn't tend to her friend. She trusted him and since she hadn't been there, Bulma had no idea what had happened. Vegeta lay her on the bed, none too gentle, told Sam to set up a block around her and not let her out unless he gave the command, and left again to get everyone else.  
  
Mirai and Gohan had been awake but were too exhausted to go anywhere so they were currently taking naps in C4 while everyone else was recovering.  
  
When Darien arrived and Bulma saw his condition, she immediately called Ami to her side. But there was nothing Ami could do except say, "He'll have to heal on his own. There are only two other people who can heal him now and they're both gone."  
  
For the moment, it seemed as though Earth's Special Forces were losing, but how could that be? There were only two people that had attacked them. Maybe that's why Vegeta was so quiet. He was embarrassed that they hadn't defeated what he thought would be easy prey. Then Ami told her about the void their enemy had created and how Gotenks had closed it right as they were about to be sucked in and had filled her in on other details of the battle.  
  
"Vegeta did say something to me about Arem. He said something to the effect that something or someone had taken over her body, was hiding behind her ki signature." When Bulma heard that, her mind was less confused but her heart ached. For most of Arem's life she had been a victim to pain of one kind or another. Would she ever find peace in this life? Would any of her family and friends find peace in their lives? From where she sat right now in life, the future did not look promising.  
  
Mirai was the first to rise and when he did he looked around the room, laid eyes on Lita and walked over to her bed. He'd seen the boys do some energy transferring with Serena and wondered if it would work for him. Mirai's crystal blue eyes searched the room quickly and cautiously. And then he carefully held one of her hands in his and concentrated. A smile stretched across his face when he saw a gold light shining around their hands, wrapping around their arms like a rope to bind them together.  
  
The two little boys had been separated once they had lost energy. Mirai did manage to catch a glimpse at what he thought to be a new transformation but he would have to ask his father about it later. Mirai had passed out from sheer exhaustion but not before he saw the space hole close. He couldn't believe that something that powerful could have been created with a snap of the fingers by who he now knew were Raida and Delin. It had to have been magic. How else would someone be able to manipulate space like that?  
  
Mirai turned his head to see who the door had opened for. It was his mother and Ami. Mirai couldn't have found a better girl for his best friend. No wonder they had managed to stay single for so long. The kind of girls they wanted didn't exist in their world.  
  
"How is she doing?" Ami was so soft-spoken, soft-voiced. The three women he had come to know were so different from each other; he often wondered how they ended up such good friends besides the "opposites attract" reason.  
  
"Don't know, really. I just got up and thought I'd give it a try, you know...like the boys." It was such a sweet gesture. Mirai was definitely what Lita needed in her life. A nice, strong, extremely handsome young man who had a fire and attitude that could challenge her own.  
  
Her thoughts wandered to the man laying a couple beds away. If it weren't for him, she would have been dead by now. If it weren't for him, she would have never risen in strength and ability as much as she had. And if it hadn't been for him, she would have never discovered love.  
  
"I think that you are just what she needs," Ami said. But Mirai hadn't caught onto her double-meaning.  
  
Bulma beat her there by a few minutes and had already checked their stats. "Vegeta says that they're just tired and need to sleep it off like everyone else here. That must have been some day if four half-Saiyans came back as tired as they did. With that feast we've put together in the kitchen, I'm surprised that Mirai's the only one that's up." Speaking of which, "How are you doing by the way, honey?"  
  
Mirai cast a tired smile at his mother. "Fine. That was the worst exercise I've ever had. I never want to go through that again." Without realizing it, he had squeezed Lita's hand just a bit tighter.  
  
At that point, Vegeta walked in with a large tray of food in one hand and a gallon of juice in the other. He could sense eyes on him and turned to face them.  
  
"What?"  
  
"You know that's dangerous, don't you...bringing food in here like that? It's liable to get stolen."  
  
He lifted a piece of steak to his mouth and took a bite. The aroma wafted through the air until the entire room smelled like barbecue. It wasn't until two steaks later that he said, "I don't think so." It was strange though, him holding his hands out in front of him like he was curling weights.  
  
Then, in the blink of an eye, two wrists appeared in Vegeta's hands and two boys attached to them. Goten and Trunks were up. But they weren't awake.  
  
"It's amazing what those two can do in their sleep," Bulma commented as she watched them try to grab at Vegeta's dinner. "You're not going to let them have any?"  
  
"Not in their sleep, no. If they're not going to be awake to enjoy your slaving, they're not going to enjoy it at all." And then keeping his eyes on his wife, "Sam, get ready to lock these boys on their beds."  
  
"Yes, sir." Vegeta grabbed one boy in each hand and threw them back towards their beds. Once they were over the mattresses, he had Sam put up the shields and he continued his meal.  
  
Long after Vegeta finished five full trays of food, the boys had woken up, as well as Goku, with a very empty stomach. At least he hoped it was empty and not full of those worms that bastard had planted in him. And that was when he remembered Darien.  
  
Darien was in the bed next to him, covered in a sheet. From the looks of it, he had no clothes on and that was strange. Whenever anyone else had ended up here in C4, they had kept all their clothes no matter the wear-and- tear. It wasn't until Darien shifted in his sleep that Goku noticed the purple and black patches of skin that covered his arms, his torso, his legs and everywhere else he could imagine.  
  
Beads of sweat framed his brow, his head was already soaked and an unusual energy exuded from his otherwise still body. Ami chose that moment to walk up to them.  
  
"What...what happened to him?"  
  
Ami was surprised to hear him ask that. "You don't remember? You were poisoned-"  
  
"I remember that," he said a little impatiently, "but why does he look like that?"  
  
Maybe Goku didn't remember. Pain rarely gave way to other senses and emotions. "Darien doesn't heal like Serena. Serena can push poisons and dark magic out of the body, but Darien, when he heals, its all done through him." The look on Goku's face said he didn't understand. "Darien is an introverted healer, which means he has to draw the illnesses into his own body and then depends on his system and powers to heal him."  
  
Ami pushed the sheet down to Darien's waist. More bruised spots had shown up on his body since earlier this morning. "Still confused?"  
  
"Only about the reason why he helped me," was his reply.  
  
Ami sighed. "Maybe because he's not the bad guy you make him out to be." And quickly followed it with, "I'm sorry, Goku. I didn't mean-"  
  
"No." Goku shook his head. "You're right. I have been "a dick" as Serena would have put it. Serena..." He looked down to see Ami's small hand covering his.  
  
"Don't worry, Goku. She'll come back to us. We'll get her."  
  
The thick metal door swooshed open and Vegeta sauntered back in.  
  
"Hey Vegeta. Looks like you didn't jump into this one." Vegeta grunted in response and sat in his chair against the wall. Bulma walked in right after with a couple of bottles in hand. Goku noticed the solemn look on her face.  
  
"Bulma," Goku greeted. She gave him a weak smile.  
  
"Goku." Bulma turned to look at her mate, who was now walking towards her with his arms in their usual position across his chest.  
  
"Let's get this over with," he told Bulma and then focused his attention on Arem's bed. "Get up," he growled at the sleeping woman. Bulma waved a bottle under her nose and the woman began to stir.  
  
"Get up," Vegeta said again and when she did, they both stepped away from the bed and the square was turned on again. "Who are you?" The prince ignored the hand on his arm, the one concerned about Arem.  
  
It took a few moments but the lady had finally composed herself and got her bearings. She looked down and inspected her hands and soon the rest of her body before she spoke to his highness.  
  
"I have come for the Woman of Light. We have things to...discuss."  
  
Vegeta didn't like that answer. "Are you with those two?"  
  
She knew he was referring to the two who had opened the hole. "No. And they will not be allowed to interfere with my mission."  
  
Bulma was watching in horrid fascination. There was Arem's body on the table, speaking with a voice that was just as quiet but harder than hers. And her eyes. The eyes that were once a sparkling blue were now a solid gold with silver pupils instead of the black that everyone else had.  
  
"What is your mission exactly?"  
  
The woman shook her head. "That is not to be discussed with you but you will find out soon." She turned her head to look at Bulma.  
  
Bulma had a queasy feeling in her stomach, she almost thought it was fear. She was a little startled when the woman asked her, "What is the question I see in your eyes?"  
  
"I...ah, what have you done with Arem?" Bulma had never felt intimidated by anyone except this person, whoever it was, that was in Arem's body. Especially with the way the woman on the table was watching her.  
  
"She has been locked away for a little while. I am in need of this body and the protection it can give me whilst I wait for the Woman. When my business is finished here, she will be returned to you."  
  
"Alive?"  
  
But she had already turned her attention back to Vegeta. "If you will excuse me, there are things that need to be taken care of. You might want to gather those who can fight and get ready for the next wave of opponents. They come."  
  
Vegeta was losing patience. From past experiences with foes and whatnot, he sensed he wouldn't get any more information out of this person. "You know my sister is not here."  
  
"I do," she said, "but I will wait. Time is of no consequence...to me." Then the woman did something that Bulma didn't know was possible. She disappeared in a flash of light, right out of Sam's square.  
  
The hair on Bulma's arm was standing on end. Whoever it was, whatever she was, Bulma had never felt anything like her before and wasn't sure she wanted to any time soon.  
  
She was careful to raise her concern to her husband who looked very displeased and the most frustrated she had ever seen him. "What are we going to do, Vegeta?"  
  
Vegeta dismissed the woman as an immediate threat and noticed that his wife was in serious need of comfort. He wrapped his arms around her and held her tight to his chest.  
  
"We are not going to do anything. I, along with Kakkarot and the others, will fly out to take care of those things that are coming. You, dear wife, will stay here and take care of Darien and keep searching for your sister- in-law." And with a kiss that spoke of unending love, Vegeta disappeared. 


	41. First Fears

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

CHAPTER 41: FIRST FEARS

Darien awoke with a headache. The lights had been dimmed in C4, so it was better than waking up to blaring white lights, but it made little difference. His whole body ached in a way it had never ached before. As he lay there in his bed, he tried to remember what had caused him so much pain.

"I was wondering when you were going to wake up."

"Goku. What are you doing here?" Darien tried to adjust himself so he could see Goku better.

"Just relax. You don't have to look at me. Just lay there and rest." Darien heard Goku scratch his head and sigh. "I just…I wanted to thank you for helping me back there. I don't know what that was. That woman just barely touched me and then the pain started. It hurt like hell…"

"Yeah, tell me about it," Darien said.

"Yeah…sorry. Thank you though, for…uh…"

Darien smiled when Goku couldn't finish. "No problem. What are friends for." Goku smiled at his comrade and knew that whatever hostilities he had towards him were gone. The trust they were missing was there now.

"You know, when Serena and I broke up, she told me she'd been having dreams about someone, which ended up being you. She'd been having these dreams a good month or two before we broke up.

"Even when Serena's mind didn't know it, her heart was looking for you the whole time. It's kind of funny how life turns out differently than you planned. The different roads it builds while you're not looking or even aware of it."

"Yeah. I had no clue that things would turn out like this."

"Never thought you'd be poisoned by a magic user?"

"Yeah," Goku chuckled. "That too." He sat back in his chair before remembering he had something for Darien. "Oh, here. I found this. Eat it."

Darien squinted at the tiny speck between Goku's finger. "I know eating your vegetables is good for you…"

"No, it's a Senzu bean. Bulma had forgotten about it. It was sitting up in her medicine cabinet in a little baggy."

"It's not a poison bean, is it?"

"No. I think you've had enough poison for one day." Goku dropped the bean into Darien's mouth.

"Try an entire lifetime. In fact, I never want to feel any of the things I've felt since I've been in your world ever again." Darien shivered. "I used to wish that I could stay dead but I couldn't. Serena needed someone to protect her."

"You're not complaining are you?"

Darien sighed. "No. But in the beginning, she was my only reason for living. She always told me that things would be better in the end. 'One day we'll find paradise, Darien. One day we'll be able to rest, we'll just have to wait a little bit longer.'"

Goku nodded. "I hope her paradise exists. In this dimension we fight physically. A lot of this planet has been destroyed and I don't think she can survive much more. I've already been a part of blowing up two other planets. I don't think the gods would appreciate the destruction of another one."

"Why is my body tingling?" Darien lifted his hands so he could see them. They looked fine.

"Senzu beans regenerate and restore. I used to hate beans but how can you hate something that works so well?"

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Ami, being a fighter of mental games, didn't have many bodily injuries and didn't end up spending the first part of the week in the hospital wing. Instead, she had been busy working side by side with Bulma, downloading and analyzing data that the mech-flies had gathered. A whole week had passed with no other attacks from the enemy. They both had been grateful for that.

Goku and Vegeta had recovered by the next day to the point that they were up and walking around, helping the civilians in the city to clean up what was left of their homes. The older boys woke a day later and left to help their fathers. Lita was just resting now. She had taken care of getting nature back in its place so it could begin the healing process; the city began to look a little more normal.

Darien was the last to wake up and, according to Goku, he was doing just fine now. Mentioned something about magic beans.

Bulma was off to make lunch for everyone and Ami decided to stay back and finish up what they were working on.

"What are you doing?"

Ami jumped, her hand grabbed at her heart.

"Gohan!?" When she turned around, a bouquet of wild flowers greeted her. "Gohan…" Ami inhaled the wonderful fresh scent and sighed. "They're beautiful. Thank you," she said as he handed them to her.

The, with a Son-signature head scratch Gohan said, "I know Lita just grew these but you've been inside working for so long, I thought I'd bring nature to you."

"Gohan, you're too sweet for words." Ami had a strong urge to hug him 'but, other girls hug, not me' and 'what if he doesn't want me to hug him?'

---------------------------------

She and Lita had a conversation one day on dating 101. "How am I to know what is appropriate physical contact for dating?" had been one of Ami's questions.

"Now, I'm no Mina but trust me when I say there's chemistry between you and your Gohan. Strong chemistry. You like chemistry, don't you?"

Not getting the play on words right away, Ami answered, "Correction. I love chemistry. In fact I scored the hi-" Then a pause. "Oh..._chem_istry." She blushed.

"It all depends on what kind of relationship you guys have. There are all sorts of different kinds of focus in relationships. There's emotional, physical, unfortunately there are some for convenience, but from what I know about Gohan and how he was raised, he would be alright with light physical things, like you would be. You're both bashful and quiet, both geniuses. You guys would fall under the 'holding hands – light kissing – cuddling' types. But I know your kind, Ami of the books. You two are the silent passionate type, the kind that secretly wish you'd make it a few times around the bases-"

"Lita!" Ami complained, now thoroughly embarrassed. Thoughts immediately flew into her hungry mind about Gohan's strength and the immense gentleness she saw in his eyes every time she looked at him. "How do I…how do you know if a boy wants to hug you or…kiss you?" Ami asked the last part in a whisper.

"It's okay to hug boys, Ami. It's okay to kiss them on the cheeks too or even…" Lita looked left, then right, "on the lips!" Ami giggled and swatted at Lita who had moved out of the way, naturally. "But in all seriousness, Ames, you've got to try things out. Think of it as a chemistry experiment. You've got your theory…well, you've got my theory anyway and my hypothesis. You've got your test patient. All you need is the testing and trial part. I bet you 10 gallons of Tillamook's Udderly Chocolate ice cream that he would love anything you did to him. Whether it be kissing or hugging. You can ask him if you want."

Ami almost made up her mind to do just that and ask Gohan until she realized how Lita had manipulated her thinking.

-----------------------------------------------------

And now came the trial and error part. She was face to face with a very handsome male who had just given her flowers and was standing before her, waiting for her reaction, any reaction.

"You picked them yourself?" she found herself asking.

"Every last one," he nearly whispered.

Ami could feel the heat between them, could hear her mind's reasoning for why physical contact with a male, this one in particular, would be beneficial. Of course her mind was using Lita's voice as a mask. Unbeknownst to Ami, her powers of reasoning were much higher than any IQ testing could have identified and before she could doubt herself, she…found herself being pressed, pulled against Gohan's warm body, his lips slanted across hers.

Ami nearly went limp with the onslaught of new feelings and emotions that passed through their lips. She was being held prisoner with one hand on the back of her head and Gohan's lips on hers, not that she was really wanting to be anywhere else at the moment. Ami didn't know what to do.

'Kissing is all natural. Just think of it as a conditioned stimulus'. And when that wasn't working, she could hear Lita yelling 'Don't just stand there like an idiot! Kiss him back!'

Ami hadn't realized that kissing was a two-way deal but the moment she did, all hell broke loose within her. Her hands were roaming his back, trying to get him closer to her. She didn't know how or why but that's what she wanted. A few more seconds of hungry kisses, her hands were pinned to the desk behind her, and suddenly there were no more. She opened her eyes to see what had happened and saw Gohan staring at her intensely with eyes flashing between green and black, trying to catch his breath.

She watched him boldly, watched his chest rise and fall and those lips that were just on hers, making her feel things she didn't know she could feel.

Gohan chuckled, something Ami really wasn't expecting. Just before she was about to feel like a total fool for responding the way she did, she heard him say, "I should get you flowers more often".

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

No one had heard from Arem or the personage residing in her for two weeks now. Secretly Bulma wasn't as worried as she should have been. Arem had visited her one night in her dreams, telling her that everything would be fine. She mentioned something about realizing her calling and the reason she had experienced and gone through all she had up to this point in time.

"All is as it should be, Bulma." That was the last thing Arem told her before she woke up.

Bulma had been sick with worry for all of her family-immediate as well as surrogate. She spent the last few mornings in the bathroom, leaning over a toilet and regurgitating food she didn't know she had eaten. Things had never been this bad before. She couldn't sleep anymore, she was constantly tired from running 36-hour days between home with Ami in the lab and at the hospital, helping the attack victims. Life was a mess. Things would be a little better now that she knew Arem would be alright.

Vegeta had been much more gentle with her and willing to do almost anything she needed. He was always checking on her and popping up randomly when most of the time he had only seen her at meals, between training sessions. Maybe it was because of their bond, he could sense the emotional turmoil within her and was adjusting accordingly to what he knew she needed.

And now, Bulma watched three small colored dots racing across a 3-D map, approaching the city.

"Sam! Send out the alarm. Tell everyone to get back here, pronto!"

A loud siren sounded, reaching as far as the end of the Black Forest and all the way up to Kami's lookout. People began to appear immediately in the room, Vegeta first, then Goku. Everyone else appeared within the minute.

"What's going on?" Lita was the first to approach.

"We have movement headed this way. Where's Darien?"

"He said he would stay at the hospital. It's a central point in the city and if anything was going to happen like last time, he would set up a barrier again," Goku answered.

"Perfect." Bulma tapped a few more translucent keys mid-air. "If they maintain their current speed, they'll be here in about 10 minutes," and to ease the mood she added, "so whoever has to go to the bathroom better hurry up before they get here."

Mirai and Gohan were the only ones who laughed.

Goku transmissioned himself to the hospital to inform Darien of what had gone down as far as plans went and was off again to meet up with the others. Because of the strength and energy of the men, Bulma sent the women with ear pieces so she could play home base and tell them if anything funny was going on. It was a good thing she'd done that.

"Ami, they've stopped about 20 kilometers from the city. They're just sitting there, I have no idea what they're doing. Hold on…there they go."

"They're surrounding us. Bulma says to head towards Master Roshi's house." Gohan tightened his grip around his blue angel and sped off into the distance, with the others not far behind. "This should be far enough."

As Vegeta hovered, he could feel something akin to dread. "This is ridiculous! We should not be running away, we should be fighting."

"They've surrounded the city. Now we surround them," Ami announced.

Everyone took off again in the direction from which they had just come. Ami glanced over at Vegeta, wondering how many battles like this he had fought. This whole planet seemed almost like an exact parallel to theirs. She faced forward again.

"Bulma, what are their coordinates?" She waited, but no answer. "Bulma, what are the enemy's coordinates?" Still, nothing. "Bulma. Bulma!"

"What's the matter?" Vegeta grabbed Ami's shoulder. "What is happening?"

Ami was having a hard time focusing as thoughts of Bulma's demise flew through her mind. She could hear Lita's voice through the earpiece.

"Ames, I can't get Bulma. What happened?"

"I don't know Lita. She's not responding to me either."

Now Vegeta knew what that dread he felt had meant. Now, Vegeta knew fear and knew that he would never forget what it felt like again.

"BULMA!"

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

"And head east towards master Roshi's house!" Bulma watched as three colored dots triangled-off Satan City. "As soon as you guys are in the clear, surround those bastards and blast them with all you've got!"

Bulma could feel the hair on the back of her neck raise; she watched goose bumps appear on her flesh. Someone was behind her. There was a monitor next to her with a black screen. She was afraid to look but forced her eyes to see the reflection. All she saw was a black hood.

"Hello."

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I'm really sorry this took so long to get out. I finally finished this little chapter over Christmas break when I was at home. I hope everyone's had a great holiday season, I did. I have to adjust to my school schedule now that we're back in session but I have great hopes for this new year, posting is one of my goals!

Echo


	42. A False Heir

CHAPTER 42: A False Heir

Vegeta knew what the dread he felt was as soon as he appeared in Bulma's lab. Everything was where it should be, nothing out of place, nothing that denoted a struggle of any kind. The only thing to be heard was the sound of electronics humming and beeping in the background.

The horror at not finding his mate after one last search for her life energy quickly turned into a blinding rage. Wires were torn from the wall, tables thrown, glass was broken, and things were destroyed in the anger and desperation that was now taking over Vegeta. Instead of giving into the red darkness as he would have done when he first came to earth, the Prince bottled it, pooled it and held it in check until he could retaliate in full force against the people who had done this. Then there would be no more holding back.

* * *

Mirai stared at the hoards of demons floating around him, all magical creatures.

"Where the hell did all of these things come from?"

Raida's head flew backwards as she cackled. "I have better things to do than to play with you. Right now Lord Kallen is about to make his move and we will take the Woman of Light and kill her-" Raida stopped. Mirai watched her head twist unnaturally and then watched her fall to the ground. Vegeta appeared moments later in the spot that she had just been.

"If anyone dies, whore, it will be by my hands." Vegeta's cold eyes watched as she fell hundreds of feet to the earth below.

"Father?" Mirai had never seen Vegeta like this before and it frightened him to see Vegeta in such a volatile state, knowing how strong he was and how much power the great Saiyan had.

"They will all pay," Vegeta growled. "They. Will. Die." Now that he was in the open, Vegeta's hands fell into fists at his side, a pained growl burst from his lips, flickers of electricity surrounded his body. The demons circled the newcomer and were about to make their move when Vegeta's energy level shot up, disintegrating all those who were near him. Mirai got away just in time, never taking his eyes off his father.

"Why are you hiding, weaklings. Come out and play. I will show you the real Prince of Darkness."

'Mother, where are you?'

Goku watched from a distance. There was no pity in his heart for the woman who just lost her life. She had been a part of the disappearance of his own mate. Goku was slowly learning the price of compassion on the battle field for those on the opposing side.

* * *

The other Z fighters gathered around Gohan who filled them in on the current situation.

"So how are we supposed to destroy these monsters?" Krillin was not looking forward to this battle.

"It's best to not touch them," Ami began. "Many times they transfer unwanted poisons through physical contact, so do not go within arm's reach of them if you can help it. Energy attacks are the best. Let me do a quick analysis on them." Then after pulling up her blue visor she told the group, "Lita and I would under normal circumstances be able to hold our own. The large number of them is what will be the challenge. It's not going to be easy, so as you discover things, pass along your knowledge so we can dispose of this enemy quickly."

"Got it."

"Let's go!"

The Z fighters gave a united yell and off they flew to begin their assault.

* * *

Vegeta flew off, leaving behind a very disturbed Mirai. Lita flew and paused beside him.

"Mirai. Mirai, are you okay?" She lay a hand on his arm and felt him trembling.

"My father…" Mirai couldn't put it in words. Only pictures flashed through his mind of what had just happened.

"What? What about him? Mirai?"

It was a few moments before Mirai managed, "He just…he just killed that woman, Raida. With his bare hands."

Lita wrapped her arms around the grown man and squeezed to let all his shock and pain soak into her. She could feel how lost he was and see the images that flashed through Mirai's mind. From a distance, Lita watched Raida fall from before Mirai but she didn't know the whys or how comes.

"He's never killed…before."

Lita could understand his shock; she was feeling it for herself through the half bond that they shared. The fact of the matter was that Vegeta had killed before, many times, before and after his change of heart. But those times had all been with energy attacks, never with his bare hands. And somehow this time it was different and more personal for all those who would be affected.

The Jovian then caught a passing thought that Bulma had been kidnapped by the unknown and put together that that was the reason for Vegeta's dark rage.

"You just have to remember that your father was raised different from you. He was raised in a lifestyle of violence of all degrees. Where he came from, they probably didn't have any tolerance for the kidnapping of a life-mate. Remember the bond? Separation causes death. I bet your dad did that to keep from blowing up the planet. Your mom told me he almost came to that once in a past battle, when you were younger. They just barely stopped him in time."

Mirai couldn't move. He stayed in Lita's embrace until he remembered what was going on around him and what they were fighting for, who they were fighting for. Goku had to have gone through the same thing when Serena disappeared. Now it was his father's turn. Would he have to? Would they take Lita away from him? Could he do the same thing if it came to that?

With new resolve, the half-prince switched positions with Lita, his arms around her, pulling her as close as he could. Then, whispering in her ear he said, "Be safe. I'll watch over you."

Lita felt tears pricking her eyes. Mirai was gone in a flash and swarms of demons began to fill in the space around her. She took a deep breath and looked dead on at her assailants. "You guys obviously don't know who you're messing with!" Lita bent her head, the lightning rod on her tiara reaching towards the sky. "I call upon the powers of my guardian planet, Jupiter."

* * *

Ami stood next to Gohan, both taking on the demons surrounding them. It was getting cold and dark. "What in Mercury's name is going on?"

Three large funnels were forming from the cover of darkness

"Sailor Jupiter! Jupiter! What's going on down there?" but Mercury received no reply. She watched in horror as the sky became a sickly dark gray, twisters growing in size.

Sailor Mercury instead heard her friend yelling, about to attack. "Eat my ashes you dark moon bitches! WRATH…OF…JUPITER!" The green light in the center exploded and latched onto the funnels, charging them with energy. The skies moaned under the command of one of the earth's protectors.

It was working! The evil beings were being sucked into the green vortexes. Tails of orange could be seen as the Z Fighters flew away from the pull of Jupiter's attack.

Evil laughter floated not too far away from where the fighters had gathered. "Bravo, bravo Earth's Special Forces. I did not expect you to be this strong." A man in white appeared out of nowhere, one black figure appearing behind him, then another, then three more, then six, until there was an army as far as the eye could see.

Sailor Mercury began to worry for her friend in the background. They should be here just watching what was going on and waiting for the next thing to happen! Someone should be helping her. That purple-haired someone flew off in the direction of the storm.

"Who are you?" Gohan was about to endure some shock as well. Goku had never looked or sounded so menacing before. He had never seen the desire to kill in his father's eyes and witnessing it now made him wonder if it was his father who was next to him.

"I am Kallen. I have come to find the Woman of Light, the false heir to the throne of Selene." The man was dressed rather impressively. He was wearing a white outfit, a military one, covered in silver and gold decorations. Long silky black hair reached his waist; he was of a slightly larger build than Darien.

Trunks leaned over to Goten and whispered, "his mom's false," then broke out in a fit of laughter.

"I hate to burst your bubble, Kallie, but the Woman of Light isn't here."

Kallen raised a brow, not liking the nickname. "Is that so?" The little boy who spoke looked oddly familiar. There was something about his face but he couldn't quite figure it out. Then it hit him. "You're those two pesky brats we met on our arrival. What did you do to your hair?"

Delin appeared next to his master. "That's the one you said looked familiar," he said pointing to Goten. "Didn't you say you had a father?"

"_Have_ a father jerk. He's standing right in front of you."

Kallen's eyes scanned Goku, an exact duplicate. "How do I know you?"

"You don't." Goku folded his arms across his chest.

"Do you have or did you have another name?" Kallen wasn't going to give up on this, no matter if it took him all day to figure it out.

"Kakkarrot."

Nothing was coming to him right that moment. "I'll get back to you on that. But back to the matter at hand. I want the Woman. Give her to me and we will leave this planet without further harm."

"You heard my son. She's not here."

"If she's not here, where is she? She has to be somewhere." Then with a mock gasp, "You haven't lost her have you?" Kallen saw the fallen faces of several members of the group drop and threw his head back and laughed. "This is rich. What kind of protectors are you?"

When he finished reveling in the irony of the situation, he became serious again. "Well, there's one sure way of fishing her out." Kallen glanced past the group. "It doesn't look like your friend over there will be able to hold out for much longer. I hope you have better luck, for your sakes." Then with a sadistic smile, "Kill them all."

The army behind the man in white flew out from behind him and encircled the fighters, creating a gigantic black sphere of bodies.

"So this is what it's come to." Krillin scratched his bald head. "Guess I'll see you guys on the other side."

"Let's give 'em hell!" Yamcha yelled as he began firing at the bubble of black.

* * *

Mirai made it to where Lita was still carrying out her attack on evil. The enemy's numbers had thinned out but there were still too many and she was fading fast. The whirlwinds were thinner now, the green lightning was less intense.

"Lita, how are you holding up?"

Lita cracked a smile. "Not done yet but I'm getting there." After years of hiding things such as emotion and pain, Lita became very good at masking. Too good she sometimes wondered. She could feel the weight of exhaustion and fatigue on her muscles and will power.

"Dig just a bit deeper. I'll try and clean up the outside. Things just got ugly for everyone else and we need to end this as soon as possible."

Lita grunted. "Well stop talking and get going."

"Right." Mirai flew away from the core and began his attack on the hundreds of demons that still remained from the first attack. He looked back and saw the ball of evil. A white beam shot through, then a yellow. Where both streams of attacks had broken through, bulges of black replaced the holes. They were reproducing! The sphere of demons was getting larger.

The guys could take care of themselves. Somehow the team always pulled through. Mirai could feel himself slowing down. He had to push it aside though because Lita was counting on him to get them through this.

"Fifteen. Eighteen. Twenty-three." The enemy's numbers were fading. It was perfect because Lita couldn't hold out anymore. The funnels dissolved into thin air, leaving behind only the dark sky as evidence that they had been there.

"We're almost there, Lita! Just a few more…to go." Lita smiled at Mirai's optimism. She looked over to see how the others were faring.

"Um, Mirai. What are those?" Lita pointed at the things headed towards them.

"Crap."

Lita forced a smile, seeing the lame humor in the situation. "That's funny. I didn't know crap could fly."

Mirai glanced over his shoulder. They were fast, too fast. "Be careful. They multiply if you don't hit 'em right the first time."

"Got it!" But Mirai and Lita were no where near able to fight back. They had been fighting for a few hours at this point and they were running on the last of their reserves. "And if this ends the way it looks like it might, I'll see you in the next life."

"Deal." Within minutes Lita had been knocked aside and out of the game. Mirai struggled to go back for more after every hit. He had to survive. Lita was counting on him. She was counting on him, damnit!

* * *

The sphere was enormous, 20 times larger than it originally was. Attacks on the Z Fighters had ceased.

Vegeta and Goku had made considerable progress until they figured out a mite too late that they weren't making progress at all. This little band of aliens was different than the ones made by the lesser fighters that came with Kallen. The men were tired. Krillin did his best, Yamcha was exhausted. Piccolo and Tien were worn out. Ami did her best to help out with weaknesses but this man was smart. No two demons had the same weakness.

The mass was shifting. Not knowing what was going on, the group decided to pause to catch their breath. When bodies stopped moving, the fighters tensed, they were ready for action. Most of them were down to the bare bottoms of their energy wells and couldn't take much more beating.

"What are they doing?" The question was answered when thousands of hands raised to face them.

"Kill." Their war-cry hit the Z fighters like a powerful wave.

It couldn't end this way. Good always won out. There was something they were missing then, something that they had forgotten. Good always won. It was a law of the universe, a law of life and a law that Goku had always counted on when in the heat of battle. It was the one thing that caused him to keep hope alive when it seemed there was nothing to hope for.

Thousands of balls of light lit up their tomb of a cell. They were going to die. They all knew it and accepted it. All except for one person.

Goku did his best to not panic at their situation. Keeping calm was so much harder than it had ever been before. He couldn't die. Serena wasn't dead and he couldn't leave her.

Right as the hoard released their final attack, Goku remembered. "VEGETA!"

* * *

Thank you so much for all of your patience. It's true, the last new post was January 20th. It's ridiculous that it has taken this long but it has and now the next chapter is out. Thank you to those who through reviews have reminded me that I do have people who read this story and are waiting for an end. I promise that this story will have an end.

I'm also going to start on a project as soon as the last chapter is out. I'm going to shorten this whole story. I'm going to go through it, edit and cut the crap out of it. Hopefully it should only take one day to read through instead of the two or three that I know it takes me sometimes. To those of you have gone back to read, you are truly amazing and thank you so much.

Thank you again for your reviews and words of encouragement. They really do help.

Echo.


	43. An End & A Beginning

Mirai fought between the desires to demolish the enemy and fly to Lita's side. Luckily for them both, common sense won out and he stayed to fight the enemy. With Lita down, they weren't going to worry about her anymore, only on those remaining.

There were only four left. Mirai was running out of time and energy and if he didn't hurry his family and Lita would die. 'So it's come to this has it?' Because of his lack of attention to the matter at hand, Mirai was dealt a blow to the head which sent him spiraling down. 'No! I can't go down like this!' He stopped himself and with a burst of his last energy, he disintegrated the last of them and fell back slowly as the world around him spun into darkness.

Mirai was out cold and didn't feel the arms that caught him. "We barely made it!" Goku lay Mirai on the ground, so thankful that he'd held on for as long as he did, making it possible for him and Vegeta to transmission everyone out of the center of that ball. The inner half of the demon sphere had been killed but Kallen had no problem creating more to replace them with.

"Thanks, Mirai. If you wouldn't have held on like you did, we wouldn't have made it."

The other fighters were too shaken up to say a word. They watched their lives nearly end in a flash of yellow and white before they all ended up around a worn out Mirai.

"That was some quick thinking, Goku." Krillin was still shaking, so was the smile he forced on his lips. Why was he so afraid of dying? He'd done it once already and it wasn't all that bad. Besides, it wasn't like he couldn't be brought back to life again.

"Well, if we don't start moving quickly, we're going to die next time." Vegeta glared at the black mass heading towards them.

Yamcha sighed, and then turned towards the oncoming mass to yell, "Can't we just take a break for a few hours and start up again?"

"I wish," Tien murmured. "I'm exhausted. I wonder what it must be like to be a Saiyan."

"It's awesome!" Goten floated in the air. His confession told nothing of his physical state which was the total opposite. Goten had never sparred this long before and neither had Trunks for that matter. The both of them were worn out and innocently, Goten asked his father, "Dad, when are we going to be done? I'm hungry and tired."

"Me too, dad!" Trunks looked up at his father, looking like he wanted to lay down now. "Can you just finish these guys off so we can go home?"

'I wish, son.' Vegeta grunted and fell into a fighting stance. "Stop with the nonsense and focus your energy on destroying the abominations."

* * *

It was a couple of hours later that Vegeta noticed the enormous strain on his body. Goku was panting heavily from what he could see and hear; obviously he was just as tired.

The two were the only ones left fighting besides their youngest sons, who amazingly had enough energy to stay with them. T

'Damn, I know we're not even making a scratch. For every one we take out, five more appear in its place.' What they needed to do was get a hold of Kallen, but in the sea of black, he couldn't see anything ten feet in front of him.

Goku turned his head to check on the boys who were stationed between himself and Vegeta. He was proud of them and how long they had lasted so far but Goku knew it was just a matter of minutes before this would end. They would all be killed, the planet destroyed and he would never see Serena again.

Memories flashed through his mind of the last war on Vegeta-sei. He and Vegeta were some of the last Saiyans alive towards the end. With reports that all the colonies had been destroyed and the only remaining survivors were the ones at his side, Vegeta ordered everyone off the planet.

Their enemies were being pulled back to their main ship that sat in space. The aliens' final attack would result in the annihilation of the entire planet and its occupants.

It had been a close call for them. Of all the Saiyans that made their escape, only half got away fast enough to not be caught in the explosion. Except for Vegeta and himself, all others made a bee-line straight for the mother ship with honor and pride leading them. There was no way the ship would have enough energy left to defend itself. Especially when Saiyan pods were crashing into it in self-destruct mode.

A single tear had been shed by the prince.

As exhausted and emotionally worn out as they both were, Goku was anxious to make his way to the moon. Before the aliens had shown up, Saiyan Intelligence had informed his highness of a threat to the Earth and her moon.

Goku and his prince had been making preparations to leave immediately but Vegeta-sei had been attacked and their plans would have to be put on hold for a while.

More memories flashed through his mind. The moon. Death. Blood. And the smirking bitch who had caused it all.

His princess. He had not been there to save her when she needed him the most. Guilt, then anger lifted his legs out of the landed traveling pod and onto the moon's dulled surface. Rage led him through the dead bodies and rubble that had been his second home, a place where he knew love. Hatred raised his eyes to the lone standing tower where he and Serena had announced their engagement. There was Beryl, sitting on a black throne, looking down at him and Vegeta.

Another flash and he saw his love and her mother, their bodies pinned against the tower by the Sacred Sword of Light, which protruded from their backs devoid of its once heavenly glow. Blood drained from their bodies, a red waterfall down the face of the tower.

* * *

Vegeta looked over and saw the stern look on Goku's face. The prince knew exactly what was going through his comrade's mind.

"Now's not the time, Goku. Fight for her now, since you didn't get to back then. And try to pay attention to what's going on will you?" Vegeta knew Goku was no longer listening to him.

Goku stood still, not seeing the hoard of enemies flying towards him. He didn't get to fight to protect her back then during the Silver Millennium. He wasn't around to protect her this time either. What kind of a man was he that he couldn't do a simple thing as to protect his mate?

And what kind of a man would destroy another's home and family for something as silly as a thousand-year old grudge?

The air around Goku became extremely dense; it ended up forcing the two younger boys down towards earth. The Saiyan's aura cracked with electricity, his long golden hair stretched out and around him to encircle him in a golden cocoon.

The black beasts threw attacks at him but their energy and magic were being absorbed into the yellow haze of Saiyan ki. Strands of red and black energy snapped out from their center and latched onto the surrounding offenders, pulling them into the black hole of power that was growing larger by the second. As soon as the other magic monsters caught onto what was happening, they encircled the sphere of light and compressed themselves to destroy it.

Just as the monsters were about to release a final blow, there was an explosion with hundreds upon thousands of black bodies flying every which way. When the light in the center of their concentration dulled Goku stood there with his arms crossed over his expansive chest. Dark red fur, the same color as his eyes, covered his upper body from what everyone could see, except his chest and abdomen. The mop of hair was still just as black as it was the day the Saiyan was born but much longer now. Goku's blood red eyes were hardened with anger, his lips upturned in a smirk and his tail lashed behind him before wrapping itself around his waist.

Kallen watched with amusement, having seen this little trick all before. He turned to make a comment following the lines of 'can't they come up with something new?' when he noticed that his underling's eyes were as wide as saucers. Delin's head fell to the side almost lifelessly and Kallen watched, stunned, as Delin's body looked like a cheap piece of metal being squeezed from all sides and twisted unnaturally. Blood oozed out of the dead man's mouth and Kallen kept a straight face as he watched his body falling to the ground hundreds of feet below.

"Hmm," the dark Saiyan grunted. "I remember you."

Pictures, scenes of the moon, destruction, a woman with red hair and dark green eyes, blood, carnage, a galaxy war for power…these all flooded into Kallen's mind. He was on a ship, watching the convoy cruisers of the Sarenian Battle Fleet making their way back to the mother ship, where he had been watching the war.

There had been a strange ball of a space pod land on the moon not too long before they had called their ships off. Two men of unknown origin flew the surface of the moon, obviously looking for something or someone. He watched with a curious eye as the two men neared the tall Tower of Light and one fell to his knees. The one still standing reached over to comfort with a hand on the shoulder. But the one on his knees threw his head back and screamed. It was the cry of a demon. The smile on Kallen's face disappeared as he watched all things surround that tower crumble into dust. Ships that hadn't made it back were crushed and an immense wave of red and gold power burst from that very spot on the moon where mother and daughter hung from a what had once been a universal beacon of light.

Kallen magnified that spot on the moon with the ship's cameras to see who it was that had not been happy with their little deed. When the screen finally cleared, two blood-red eyes looked straight at him, soon to be surrounded by red fur that covered his body from head to toe.

That look of pure hatred and anger was the last thing the ruler of Sarenia saw the night he died. It was the last of the hidden memories in Vegeta's mind and the same time eight little crystal balls that held eternal souls floated away from the moon to hide until it was safe to be born again.

Kallen made the mistake of smiling at that memory, the memory of a soul being tortured. He didn't even have to use his own hands to inflict that kind of pain! _That_ was power.

Kakkarrot's blood boiled at the miniscule smirk that crawled onto the murderer's face. The man before him killed the entire Lunar population and left its rulers to hang on a universal symbol of peace. He had brutally murdered his intended mate and for that he would suffer.

The Super Saiyan grabbed Kallen by the throat and squeezed until the man's eyes began to redden along with his face. "I remember YOU!" Just as Kakkarrot began to squeeze tighter, his hands were frozen. His whole body was paralyzed and Kallen laughed as he pryed the Saiyan's fingers off his neck.

Kallen clucked at Kakkarrot, who was having a hard time breathing. His body was beginning to shut down. Extreme paralysis was not something he'd recommend doing on a regular basis. "Didn't your little girl teach you anything about magic users, Saiyan?"

Kakkarrot vaguely remembered something about not touching them…the first hit in usually wins. He was wheezing, struggling to get air into his lungs.

"Normally I don't stick around to watch people die, but you…I will make an exception for." And then leaning closer to the still body, Kallen whispered into his ear, "I remember you too." Kallen remembered the monster of the devil species that their co-conspirator was supposedly destroying the same time they were to start their attack on the moon. In his last bit of rage, the man he had frozen now had unleashed an ungodly amount of power and eradicated the last of their army out of the atmosphere, taking the moon and several other surrounding satellites.

Then, with a sneer across almost too-perfect face, Kallen said louder, "I'll see you in hell, monster."

Spots decorated the Saiyan's vision. Small dots of white and black flashed in his eyes as he teetered on the edge of consciousness. And then a large flash of white. There was gasping of air, the fluttering of wings, and suddenly the color was coming back to his eyes. Kakkarrot lifted his hands to his throat to make sure the invisible hand was no longer there.

Kallen had a stranger's hand at his throat, effectively cutting off his air supply. The black-cloaked figure whispered something to the deranged ruler and the man shook, trembled in fear at whatever that person had said. Enemy or not, Kakkarrot was glad for the distraction but couldn't tear his eyes from it. The opening of the hood turned towards him and two glowing white orbs shone from the shadows of it. The head turned back and the man called Kallen screamed before hundreds of tiny lights shot from his body to leave only clothes behind that now fluttered in the wind towards the earth.

The cloaked figure turned its attention to Kakkarrot and he could hear a voice in his head. _'No one will interfere. The daughter of the moon is mine to fight.'_

Kakkarrot didn't notice the screaming or the flapping of wings in the distance until the mystery person disappeared. With tired eyes, Kakkarrot lifted his now black detransformed eyes to the skies where he saw five of the most beautiful creatures he'd ever seen in his life. _'What strange looking birds…' _was his last conscious thought. Kakkarrot closed his eyes and fell.

* * *

NOTES: Alright, for reals this time…I really hope and intend to finish this story by the end of my summer break from school. Can I just tell you that the school part of college sucks? My last update was July 7th of last year ducks. So, here is the beginning to a new chapter! I hope everyone can follow it and I hope that you don't have to go too far back to remember what this story's about  I'm suck a slacker hangs head. 


	44. Phoenixes & A Small Reprieve

CHAPTER 44: Phoenixes & a Small Reprieve

Kakkarrot gave all the energy he had to give. The rage of Super Saiyan 4 had drained him, leaving him with barely enough ki to survive. Kakkarrot relaxed as he free-fell to the earth with only a hint of a smile on his beaten face to tell any onlookers that he was more than happy with the strange turn of events. He didn't even have enough energy to open his eyes to make sure that the bastard Kallen had died. He just had…faith.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Five glorious phoenixes tucked their wings in and dove towards the strewn bodies of the Z fighters. The first of them caught the man falling and slowed as they neared the surface of the earth.

"Are they all here?"

"I believe so."

The sky turned black as the remainder of Kallen's army gathered to destroy the new comers.

"And what of the enemy?"

"The three main beings have been destroyed. Only these _things_ are left behind."

"Let us finish this," the white phoenix said with exhaustion that only her companions heard.

The five phoenixes circled around the group of fallen warriors with their arms outstretched, standing wing-tip to wing-tip. With heads bowed over the fallen warriors, each phoenix called upon the power of her home planet to aid them in healing the wounds of the earth and the wounds of their beloved laying at their feet.

"I call upon the oceans of Neptune-"

"…the heart of Venus…"

"…the fires of Mars…"

"…the strength of Uranus…"

"I call upon the Celestial light of the Eternal Moon…"

And together with one voice, "as guardians of the Silver Galaxy and the protectors of life, we call upon the powers entrusted to us by the planets…PLANET HEALING ECLIPSE!"

The five phoenixes felt the energy pulsing from their circle into their bodies. The pulsing grew stronger as the energy concentrated itself into a sphere before their eyes and with a final beat, the sphere burst through the ring of protection, sending a wave of rainbow colored feathers across the land. As the feathers landed on the demolished surface of the earth, one last heavy pulse of Mother Nature's renewed heartbeat told them that their plan had worked. The results were immediate and nothing short of amazing.

The feathers of their new forms covered the earth in a blanket of red, orange, turquoise, yellow, and white. And underneath the feathers came new life; the blanket of feathers turned into flowers of the same color, grass was renewed, trees sprung to life bringing with it more of the animals that had moved along to find other places to hide from the destruction that had been wrought upon their homes.

With a tired but pleased sigh, the white phoenix lowered her arms to her side. "Let's go home."

The smiles on her companions' faces were smiles of satisfaction and joy. They were finally home and nothing short of the end of the world was going to take them again.

"What will we do with them? We don't have enough hands to take them all."

The white phoenix leader shook her head. "We will take them all at once. Put them in a circle, link hands and you will concentrate on the place I put in your minds."

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Mirai was the first to recover from the drain. With groggy eyes, the future Saiyan looked up from where he lay and saw his companions on the surrounding floor. 'Lita-' Mirai blinked his vision clear until he saw a mop of brown hair on a pillow several feet away. With gargantuan effort, Mirai pulled himself across the room, straining every sore muscle in his body, until he reached his goal. The few strands of hair that lay on Lita's face, Mirai tucked behind her ear one by one until she was totally unobstructed from his view.

Mirai lay his head on Lita's chest. Relief flooded him when he heard her heartbeat pounding it's steady and strong rhythm in his ear. As careful as he could be, Mirai rolled Lita onto her side and wrapped his longer body around hers from behind. With his nose in Lita's hair and his arm around her waist, Mirai fell back into a deep and much needed sleep.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Vegeta couldn't move. Sunlight seared its way through his eyelids, adding that much more pain to his already throbbing head. He couldn't help but groan as he attempted to move away from the light. And that's when he heard soft laughter.

The great Saiyan stilled. "Who's there?" Sensitive Saiyan ears picked up soft footsteps nearing the bed he lay on.

"Brother, it's just me, Serena."

"Stay where you are," he demanded, not knowing for sure if it was his sister or some imposter. It took quite the effort to open his sore eyes but once he saw how foggy his vision was, he gave up and closed them again. His nose would tell him that the person in the room was his sister. Sure enough, her vanilla-strawberry scent with an underlying dose of raw power and magic filled his nose and Vegeta could relax again.

"Sister."

Serena's footsteps sounded again and there was a slight sagging on the bed.

"Everyone's going to make it, Vegeta. We got here just in time to catch the tail end of your battle."

Vegeta felt pure relief at hearing that and he let her know by sighing. "Bulma?" There was silence and Vegeta's heart clenched tighter than it had when he discovered her first missing. He could feel the beast within struggling to make it's way out of its reigns and mourn for it's mate. The chains in his soul were crumbling but stopped as his sister's hand covered his larger one.

"We found her."

The excitement in Serena's voice told Vegeta all he needed to know. His mate was alive! A strange choking noise came out of the rough Saiyan followed by sobs unknown. Serena was pulled into a desperate hug as Vegeta cried his relief and happiness into his sister's stomach and all his worries were washed away by his tears.

"She's alive?"

Vegeta felt Serena nod into his neck. "She's alive, Vegeta. Right before those aliens destroyed the lab, Pluto slowed time down and took Bulma back to the Gates with her."

Vegeta couldn't help but cry into his sister's welcoming arms. His pride didn't matter. The fact that he was a crying Saiyan prince didn't matter. His mate was safe and alive. That was all that mattered. That's all.

"Pluto says she's sorry that she couldn't send word to you. There was too much confusion at the gates and some people were trying to travel between dimensions or something like that. If there was an information leak and Bulma was hurt, Trista would have never forgiven herself."

"Where is she?"

Vegeta forced his eyes open yet again and saw Serena's warm smile. "We couldn't bring her back with us. The risk of her getting hurt here was too great, but don't worry. As soon as everything is taken care of and we take out that last alien that has Arem trapped, Bulma will be safe at your side again."

And that would have to do for now. Vegeta was no stranger to war. He knew that an enemy would use whatever he could against you and they in fact had. He nodded.

"Rest, brother. You're in my home and you're safe. Just rest your body. If you get hungry, tell Sam. He'll page one of us."

Vegeta allowed Serena to roll him onto his back again and smiled as she kissed his forehead before leaving.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Goku stirred at the feeling of something sliding through his thick hair. As he neared the lower levels of consciousness, he could tell they were slender fingers that stroked his head. There was soft humming next to his ear and a warmth he had nearly forgotten at his back.

Instincts alone sent his hand to his head to capture that sweet and soft appendage near his face. No words were said or could be said. Afraid that it was all a dream, Goku kept his eyes closed as he led the hand to his lips and placed a kiss on each finger. The wrist in his hand was lifted to his nose where he could smell her blood running through her veins, the sweet scent that had captured him ages ago when they first met on the moon and again here on earth.

Another hand stroked his head and made its way down his neck and across his shoulders. He caught that one in his other hand and held it to his nose as well, making an even stronger imprint in his memories of what his mate smelled like. Goku wanted to see her and know for sure that it was his mate he was feeling and that it wasn't just a bittersweet dream like others he had while she was gone.

"Kakkarot."

Goku stilled at hearing his name.

"Goku." His hands tightened around her wrists. He didn't want to wake up. "Goku, open your eyes for me."

As much as he wanted to linger in her memories, he could never deny his soul mate anything, not even in his dreams. It broke his heart to have to open his eyes and lose his vision of her but when he finally gave in to her request, slowly so he could savor every last shade of color in her eyes, seeing her there in front of him was too overwhelming. There she was, kneeling over him with tears sliding down her cheeks with a smile that nearly put tears in his own eyes.

"Hi, handsome."

Goku watched with confusion as his mate's eyes dimmed a little. He couldn't speak, he could only drink in the vision of her like a man dying of thirst.

"I was afraid you weren't going to wake up-"

Goku knocked Serena over and crushed her body to him, burying his face in her abdomen. This wasn't a dream! But it felt like it. He had many dreams over the past few weeks just like this. But now, now her scent was stronger. Now, he could feel the fabric of her shirt in his fingers, every rough piece of thread.

"Are you real?" he whispered into the soft skin of her stomach. She smelled real, her scent was overpowering.

Tears fell from Serena's eyes. " I'm sorry I was gone for so long. I'm so sorry you had to fight on your own." Goku felt the small and powerful arms of his beloved wrap around his head and stroke his neck and back. "I don't know what else to tell you but I'm really here."

Goku wasted no time in capturing her lips with his and making sure that she was with him. Serena's kiss was branded into his memories once again, forever telling that this was how it would always be with his love.

"Happy to see you too," his mate said as she chuckled and ran her fingers over his shoulders in a comforting gesture. He looked up into her eyes and saw that she was crying over him and the dim light he caught in her gaze earlier was gone and had been replaced with relief and joy.

"I'm never letting you go again."

Serena was about to tell him that it would get old pretty fast but she decided her Saiyan-man had dealt with enough. She knew exactly how he felt too, but couldn't let go that there was one more obstacle in their way from obtaining the peace they had longed for.

Serena and Goku spent the next few hours renewing and strengthening their bond. There were no words spoken as he pulled her closer to him and pressed every inch of his mate as close to him as he could and slept his first peaceful sleep in a long time with no more night mares and no more waking alone without her in his arms.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Everyone was assembled in the dining room when the three older family members emerged from the hallway.

"Good morning everyone! Hope you slept well." Serena smiled as Goku led her to the counter where plates of food waited for them.

Vegeta grunted a good morning to everyone and followed his sister to the counter. There was something different about the group today. And with one more quick glance over the occupants of the room, he saw them. Four females he had never seen before, but had. A growl permeated the room.

"Who are you?"

Vegeta calmed when he felt a hand on his arm. "Brother, they are my remaining senshi. I found a way to separate them from me but I'll tell you about them later. Let's get our food and I'll introduce them.

After the ninth plate of food, the big eaters finally slowed down to a somewhat normal and non-frenzied pace. Serena took the opportunity to introduce her friends after taking one more sip of milk.

"Everyone, I'm sure you met while we were…sleeping, but I will introduce you formally now. You all know Lita and Ami." Lita and Ami gave a quick wave. They are the daughters of Jupiter and Mercury. Do you remember during our picnic oh so long ago when I nearly blew up on Goku? Well, that was Raye. Wave so everyone knows who you are."

Raye waved, rather embarrassed that the memory would be stuck to her now.

"And then we have Mina, the last of my inner senshi and Sailor Venus, who because of our looks, could pose for me when I could not." Mina waved and blew a kiss to everyone in the room before turning and kissing Darien, who's lap she currently occupied.

"We have two of our outer Senshi with us. Amara, Sailor Uranus and Michelle, Sailor Neptune." Amara gave a curt nod while a warm smile spread over Michelle's face.

"It's a pleasure to finally meet Serena's extended family."

The people who had slept in the living room were already talking again and asking questions to the four new comers. Serena cleared her throat.

"Because you have already eaten-"

Vegeta cut in, "Don't talk to us until we're done eating or you'll wish that Kallen had finished you off."

Serena slapped Vegeta's arm. "Just eat your food already, Grumpy."

Vegeta snorted and shoved more food into his mouth.

Serena felt bad for her mate who had yet to let her out of arms reach. Even though it slowed him down, Kakkarrot was eating with only one hand. The other was holding her leg close to him since she needed her arm to eat as well. When she felt a quick squeeze to her inner thigh, she knew it wasn't going to be any time soon. Who was she to complain? Her sisters in the galaxy were here, her family from this world surrounded her. There was nothing more Serena could want for except for Bulma and Arem's return. Life was almost perfect.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

AUTHOR NOTE:

I am honestly so very sorry for taking this long to update. I thought to punish myself by not writing anything else even though I've been wanting to for a very _very_ long time. And I have had this story at the forefront of my mind for the last two years, trying to think of ways to get through this rather awkward part. But since I posted my new story (which you all should read), writing for this one has become significantly easier.

I know that what I wrote wasn't a lot but it's a sign of things to come. My muses are alive!!

With deepest apologies,

Echo


	45. Out of Time

Alright! It only took me seven months to get this chapter out! I'm so sorry.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Previously in chapter 44:

_Everyone was retrieved from the battle with Kallen and his henchmen. They were taken home and are in the process of recovering…_

Vegeta cut in, "Don't talk to us until we're done eating or you'll wish that Kallen had finished you off."

Serena slapped Vegeta's arm. "Just eat your food already, Grumpy."

Vegeta snorted and shoved more food into his mouth.

Serena felt bad for her mate who had yet to let her out of arms reach. Even though it slowed him down, Kakkarrot was eating with only one hand. The other was holding her leg close to him since she needed her arm to eat as well. When she felt a quick squeeze to her inner thigh, she knew it wasn't going to be any time soon. Who was she to complain? Her sisters in the galaxy were here, her family from this world surrounded her. There was nothing more Serena could want for except for Bulma and Arem's return. Life was almost perfect.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

CHAPTER 45: Out of time

The Saiyan patriarchs finally finished their meals and moved into the living room to be with everyone else. Their hunger was satisfied and now it was time to relax.

Much to Serena's irritation, Goku had waited until she finished eating to pick her up off the bench and carry her bridal style into the living room, only to plop her in his lap once he sat down. When she tried to pry his arms open, they tightened around her and Goku growled in her ear.

"You would deny me the pleasure of holding my mate after being separated all this time?" When he nuzzled the back of Serena's neck, Mina 'aw'ed and Michelle commented on how cute it was.

Serena sighed and melted into his chest. She pushed his locked hands to rest on her stomach where she could comfortably rest her arms on his.

"Well, I suppose you all want to know what happened, huh?" The looks on everyone's faces confirmed it. Where had she disappeared to?

"It all started with Raye. I was _told_ that I had lost my temper with my mate and that was a catalyst for Raye to come forward. You see, my body couldn't handle separating in the way it had been doing for Lita, Ami and Darien. I didn't have enough energy and so I was locked down while Raye was set free. It all worked out fine because then I was able to find the answer to my problem with extracting everyone.

"As many of you know, white light is made up of many different colors. Prisms can separate white light into its various colors and that's what the jewel did for me, it helped to pull out the remaining senshi from my life-light."

Serena smiled. "It was actually Amara's idea that made me realize what I could do. Having many different souls in my body was really tiring. I don't regret it at all," Serena added when she saw the tired looks of her friends. "It was just a little hard for me to concentrate my energy while five other people needed the same energy to be kept alive. Let me tell you that using the jewel was a lot easier than doing it the other way. I don't know why we never thought of it before.

"I'm really sorry for all the horrendous things this motley family of ours has had to experience. All I can tell you is that I must still fight one last battle against the entity that killed Kallen for us. He, It, spoke to me briefly before it left the battle field and told me that I had until the full moon to recover."

"We'll be ready by then," Gohan said, resolution and determination coloring his face.

The tired smile on Serena's face unsettled everyone that could see it. Lita commented on it. "What aren't you telling us, Serena?"

Serena sighed and felt Goku's arms tighten around her waist. The exhaustion never quite left her anymore. "I will be fighting for the life of the galaxy."

"And we'll be right there with you. Don't worry. With all of us at full strength-"

Serena felt Vegeta's eyes on her and lowered her head.

"What my dear sister is failing to tell us is that this is the last battle of the war."

Several voices strained to be heard but were silenced just as quickly with a wave of Mina's hand, a woman that looked as though she could have been a twin of Serena's.

"It's not our fight, is it?" Mina asked.

"No, it's not." Serena couldn't help but feel heavy, even in such strong arms. "This battle is unlike any before it. It is more personal than any fight will be ever again and it is mine to wage alone. One on one, the age old fight between good and evil." A mirthless chuckle left Serena's lips. It was funny but not at the same time. Two life times. She had lived through two life times and still she could find no peace for herself or her friends and family.

No one could say anything that would lift the mood in the room. Instead they sat for a while and let it all soak in. Goku was the only being in the entire room that did not accept the fact that Serena would have to fight alone. Why couldn't she understand that a Saiyan's mate would never be allowed to fight alone? Why hadn't Vegeta let her know either? He was her brother.

Serena let everyone know that they had three weeks until the next full moon. In that time she requested that they celebrate life every day, which led to several hundred pounds of barbecued steak and hot dogs.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Many times, Serena's sisters had tried to convince her to train but Serena just shook her head. "I'm tired of fighting," she would tell them. "I only want to fight one more time and be done with it. I have learned all I can learn in the forms of physical fighting and now I just wish to enjoy the rest of my time together with you."

Time had fluttered away until there was only one week left before the coming of the full moon. No one had heard from the entity Serena was to fight and there was no sign of Arem anywhere. Nerves were on end in the group. For the most part, everyone was at a loss of what to do. None of them were rooting for Serena to lose, naturally, but what would happen if she couldn't win? How would life be for them? Would they even be alive?

The men-folk had taken to doing what they do best. The fields past the forest were being used for sparring grounds and with all the frustration of not being able to do anything, the land had taken a sound beating in their wake.

Back at home, the Sailor Senshi had several meditation sessions throughout the past two weeks, figuring out ways they could help Serena when she would need it the most. Everyone had different ideas on how to help her the best but in the end, Raye was the voice of reason.

"She told us that it was not our fight, you guys. I know we really want to help her and fight with her but we would only get in the way."

"I think the only thing we can do is be ready to feed our power into her when the time comes that she may need help," Mina said. "If we concentrate the rest of our meditation on transferring power during the battle."

Ami spoke up next. "Normally in battle, one would draw their power from a source. I say we first need to find out where Serena's source of power is and then figure out how to direct our power into it. I would like to recommend Raye to teach us how to focus energy."

Raye was taken back a bit by the suggestion. "Me? Why me?"

Lita smiled. "Well, you're the priestess. Isn't that what you used to do all day at your grandfather's temple? We used to catch you meditating all the time and interrupt. Remember that guy who worked there? You know, the one that had that crush on you-"

"Chad," Mina supplied.

"Yeah, Chad. One time I came over to the temple and I saw him waiting outside your fire room, kneeling, waiting for you to move or to need something. I swear, I wish I had a man like him…"

Amara was not impressed by the direction in which the conversation had turned. "What about that purple-haired guy I always see you with?"

Lita blushed and the conversation turned back to planning on what else could be done to help their sister.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Serena woke up from her nap with Goten and Trunks. She loved nothing more than spending time with the two boys who had loved her unconditionally since she first arrived. They were under a tree in the forest and they slept on either side of her, using her numb arms as pillows. Tears formed in her eyes as she worried about their futures and what the outcome of the fight would be.

Rolling as gently as she could, Serena kissed each boy on their foreheads before falling back into a troubled sleep.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

It was dinner time and no one had seen Serena and the boys since earlier that morning. Goku and Vegeta landed outside the main building and walked in sweaty and filthy, each sporting a variation of bruises and swollen flesh.

Ami, the meekest of all the Sailor Senshi had approached Vegeta as he walked through the living room. "Excuse me, Vegeta. Have you seen Serena? We haven't seen her or the boys all day."

Vegeta looked at the frail woman with blue hair and muttered, "weakling," under his breath.

Ami straightened her back and folded her arms across her chest. The temperature in the room dropped a few degrees. Literally. "Don't take out your anger on me, Vegeta. Now have you seen Serena or not?"

Only a few noticed the way Vegeta's eyes slightly widened at Ami's tone before they took a softer look to them. Vegeta's heart ached in remembering Bulma. He didn't know where she was but had to have faith in his sister that she would be home soon. Bulma. What he wouldn't do to have her here and yelling at him, ready to rip his face off for walking in her pristine home covered in dirt and filth. The pain in his heart grew stronger.

"Hmph," he grumbled. "If you weren't so weak, you would have noticed she's in the forest only a little ways from here. They're on their way home."

The other women had never seen Ami stand up like that to anyone and to see her talk to Vegeta like that…what dimension were they in?

"Thank you, Vegeta," Ami chirped before resuming her position on the couch.

Vegeta ignored her and yelled for Sam. "Get a move on with dinner. I want it done by the time I get out of the shower."

"Yes sir," came Sam's digital voice over the intercom. Vegeta ignored the conversation taking place within his hearing range as he walked towards his room.

Raye, the most fiery of all the sailors spoke first. "Who are you and what have you done with Ami?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," Ami said as she turned to grab Gohan's hand. Gohan in turn lifted her hand to his lips and placed a light kiss on her knuckles. He stood and pulled Ami behind him, her bubbly giggles floated throughout the living room.

Lita who had spent the most time with Ami in this dimension had all eyes on her. She was sporting her own Saiyan who looked like he was ready to make an exit as well. All the Jovian could do was shrug.

"Don't look at me. I had nothing to do with it. Mirai?"

Blue eyes took stock of several females staring at him, waiting for an answer. "I guess my father has a soft spot for her. Ami reminds me a lot of my mom who hasn't been here for a very long time. In fact, I don't think that my parents have ever been apart for this long. Yeah..." he gave a nervous chuckle, "she sounded a lot like my mom just then. If you're waiting for my dad to lose his attitude, just keep in mind that what you just saw was his version of pleasant."

A round of 'oh's and 'ah's filled the room.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

One week turned into five days, which turned into three days, then two and finally it was the day before the full moon. Serena's energy spiked all over the place, she could hardly sit still. What does one do on the last day of their life? What should she have done differently?

Faith was the only thing that would pull her through this, it was the lifeline keeping her from falling into the dark abyss of fear and despair. She would triumph. That was her only option. There was no other way.

Serena had never felt so alone in her life.

A sense of selfish pity washed over her. How many times had she done this? How many times would she have to fight to save the world, or the galaxy, or all creation as she knew it? Who decided that she, Serena Son, mate and wife of Goku and mother of none, was the one to save humanity as she knew it? The years she had lived in past and present lives weighed on her shoulders. She felt so old. Why wasn't her face wrinkled yet? Why did she still have a young body?

What was the point of fighting anymore when all winning meant was she would be alive to fight another battle. Fighting was pointless, why couldn't everyone see it? What would happen if she were to wave a little white flag and ask her enemy if they could just come back another time, she would call them when she was ready. Serena would never call. Where was the justice for her? Who would fight for her?

Serena knew in an instant who would fight for her and wiped her eyes. Her brother, her nephew, her step-son would all be in line behind her mate. The senshi would be fighting their way into the line, proclaiming they knew her first and seniority would get to be first in line. A smile broke through the tears when Serena thought of how Raye would be yelling and Mina would join in. Lita, Darien and Ami would be standing off to the side shaking their heads. Amara and Michelle would probably follow the Saiyans into the fight, while the sailors stood oblivious to what was going on outside their spat.

The pity churned itself into a healthy anger, the slow steady burn of coal into a blazing inferno. Who did all these aliens think they were to come over and declare war? Why couldn't they just find another planet or stay on theirs. What was so damn appealing about earth that made everyone want to come after it! Seriously? Where was the appeal?

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

Goku knew that the strain and pressure of the upcoming battle weighed on Serena's heart and mind. He had known since the day they sat in the living room three weeks ago and she had made her announcement about the details of how it would go down. The smile never quite hit her eye and the sagging of her shoulders gave away just how much she was affected by the knowledge of what was to come.

He could sense the sorrow on his end of their shared bond and it had sent him into the air to find her. Goku had never been good at comforting anyone but when he felt the stirring of her anger, he knew exactly how he could help her. It was in that state of mind that Goku found his mate.

"Come with me," Goku yelled from above the trees, into the clearing where Serena sat. He waited until she moved and flew through the skies to a bare patch of land where they could be alone.

Serena landed behind Goku in the wasteland that the boys sparred in. Why did he bring her here? "Did you want to show me something-" Serena's question was halted as she jumped backwards to get out of the way of an attack. "Goku? What are you doing?"

"How could they do this to you, Serena? Why do they always come after you?"

Serena shook her head. "What? Why are you saying-" She nearly stumbled over a rock trying to dodge another unexpected attack. "You're starting to make me angry, Goku. Stop shooting those things at me."

But Goku didn't stop. He kept aiming energy balls for her. "Fight me, woman. Be angry, it's okay. You have a right to be angry."

Serena shook her head. "No, I don't want to fight you. Please don't make me fight."

Goku stopped shooting energy balls at her and landed in front of her. "You need this Serena. You can't fight angry tomorrow. It will slow you down and make you sloppy. Fight me now. Be angry _now_ so you can fight with a clear mind tomorrow, so you have no reason to hold back. Fight me so I know I have helped in some way, the only way I can. I can't fight tomorrow so I need you to fight for me today."

Serena understood what Goku wanted and knew he spoke from experience. She trembled as he wiped the tears from her cheeks with rough thumbs and told her he loved her with a steady gaze. A soft, chaste kiss was placed on her lips before the warmth of her mate left her. Kakkarot's strong yet gentle voice called to her from where he stood several yards away. "Take your stance." Ever the warrior, his Saiyan eyes were hardened over with flickers of concern placed there for Serena to see he was doing his best to help her and they began their last dance on the earth as they knew it.

.

SKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSKSK

.

**Authors Note:**

I'd like to dedicate the speed at which this chapter came out to WildIrishRose31, who unbelievably read the whole story in one day. _I_ don't even have that much time on my hands, which makes it all the more amazing!

Thank you so much to everyone who had so faithfully and wonderfully stuck with me through this entire story. I can't believe it! I have a total of two or three more chapters depending on how I want to divvy them up. Woohoo! Almost done!

Seriously though, thank you to all the people who have stuck with this story since it came out in ...are you ready to hear when it came out?

Drum roll please...

...

...

...

November 05, 2002.

Yeah, that's what I said! It has taken me a little more than SIX YEARS to finish this story. I promise never to do another one like this and can I tell you how excited I am that we're almost to that ending point? At the end of this story, the overwhelming weight of guilt will be lifted from my shoulders and put onto the other baby stories that I've started.

For all the readers who have started reading in the last two or so years...you're so lucky you didn't find this story until a lot later... lol.

Echo


End file.
